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How to Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to Check Your Website’s PerformanceHow to Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to Check Your Website’s Performance

How to Use Google’s PageSpeed Insights to Check Your Website’s Performance

Stephan Kuslich
April 22, 2024
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Enter your Website URL into PageSpeed Insights

  1. Go to Google Page Speed Insights.
  2. Enter your website URL exactly how it appears when visiting you home page. Then click Analyze.
  3. Toggle between desktop and mobile performance.
Toggle between desktop and mobile performance on google page speed insights

Enhancing Performance Across the Four-Tier Criteria Indicators

Performance metrics in Google Page Speed Insights

Performance: A Balancing Act

Goal: 50 or greater 

Performance scores are a reflection of how swiftly your website loads and becomes interactive. A low score here can be a red flag, signaling potential frustration for visitors facing slow load times. This can result in higher bounce rates and lower user engagement, which no site owner wants.However, I believe we need a pragmatic approach to this metric. Striving for a score above 90 in performance can sometimes lead us to make sacrifices that ultimately dilute the richness of the user experience. The truth is, for many modern websites brimming with engaging content, getting close to a perfect score might necessitate stripping down elements that make your site vibrant and captivating.

While speed is important, so is the quality of your content. If an extra second or two of load time means delivering a compelling and visually stunning experience that captivates your users, this trade-off can often be worth it. It's about finding that sweet spot where performance meets user satisfaction. And frankly, I think Google should tweak their algorithms to reflect the value of today's dynamic, content-rich websites.

Negative Impact of Low Score

Slower page load times, higher bounce rates, decreased user satisfaction, and potential negative SEO implications.

Benefits of High Score

Faster loading, improved user experience, better SEO rankings, and potentially higher conversion rates.

Common Causes for Low Score

Unoptimized images, render-blocking resources, inefficient plugins unminified CSS/JS files, and slow server response times. 

Accessibility metrics in Google Page Speed Insights

Accessibility: No Compromise Necessary

Goal: 100

When it comes to accessibility, however, there's no room for compromise. Achieving a high score in this category is non-negotiable, as it reflects how well your website serves users with disabilities. There's simply no downside to ensuring your site is accessible to all, and a low score here is often indicative of oversight or neglect.

Negative Impact of Low Score

Inability for users with disabilities to fully use the site, potential legal implications, and restricted audience reach.

Benefits of High Score

Inclusive user experience, broader market reach, and reduced risk of ADA non-compliance penalties.

Common Causes for Low Score

Missing alt text for images, insufficient color contrast, lack of keyboard navigability, and missing labels on forms. 

Best Practices metrics in Google Page Speed Insights

Best Practices: The Mark of Quality

Goal: 100

Similarly, falling short in the Best Practices domain suggests a site may not be leveraging the full spectrum of current web technologies. These practices aren't just about ticking boxes; they're the hallmarks of a secure, efficient, and robust online presence.

Negative Impact of Low Score

Security vulnerabilities, poor cross-browser compatibility, and use of outdated web technologies.

Benefits of High Score

Improved security, forward compatibility, and overall reliability of the website.

Common Causes for Low Score

Usage of deprecated APIs, not using HTTPS, not following modern coding standards, and page cannibalization. 

SEO metrics in Google Page Speed Insights

SEO: The Bedrock of Visibility

Goal: 100

Lastly, let's talk about SEO. It's the pulse of your website's visibility. Not reaching a high score in SEO is a missed opportunity for greater organic reach and visibility. Optimizing for search engines should be woven into the fabric of your site's design from the very beginning.

Negative Impact of Low Score

Lower search engine rankings, reduced visibility, and decreased organic traffic.

Benefits of High Score

Higher visibility in search engine results, increased organic traffic, and better user engagement.

Common Causes for Low Score

Poorly structured HTML, inadequate use of keywords, lack of mobile optimization, and missing meta tags.

In summary, while a perfect performance score is often a Herculean task for media-rich websites, achieving an exceptional Performance score without sacrificing your content to the point where you are losing more than you are gaining. Accessibility, Best Practices, and SEO on the other hand is simply a matter of properly building and maintaining a website. Each point in these scores represents real-world usability, your rank in search engines, and the overall effectiveness of your website to perform as an invaluable tool for your business. It is the responsibility of a webmaster to provide the best possible user experience and ensure that it is properly maintained. If you find that your current webmaster or web service agency isn’t up to the task, Give Ghost a call, we can help. 

Stephan Kuslich

Company Founder & CSO - Ghost Medical

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