Site speed is also a factor in Google rankings on desktop and mobile.
Poor performance can reduce your sites visibility on search engines, killing your traffic.
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Figuring out which issue is causing sluggishness is key to figuring out the optimizations you should prioritize.
Start by running a page loading speed test using an online tool likeGTmetrix,Google PageSpeed Insights, orWebPageTest.
Keep in mind that load times should be less than one second.
WordPress users should also specifically test their themes and plugins for performance issues.
This requires disabling one theme or plugin at a time, and carrying out the aforementioned page loading tests.
This way you might narrow down if any of these add-ons are the root cause.
But when it comes to themes, its not all about looks.
The size of the theme will have a huge effect on your websites loading time.
The quickest way to go about this is by using an image compression plugin.
Finally, it’s possible for you to also try cleaning out your WordPress library.
As you build pages, images, videos, and other files tend to accumulate, taking up storage.
It can also negatively impact search engine performance, because it acts as duplicate content on your website.
When choosing your theme, double-check to peek if full blog posts or excerpts are the default option.
If so, you might change the tweaks.
For example, the companyclaimsits latest version has made loading three times faster.
First, break up longer posts into smaller pages.
Next, reduce the number of external HTTP requests on your site.
If your WP plugin is making too many requests, it could kill your speed.
Check out thesecodeshortcuts to help you out.
Believe it or not, most WP sites also come with an extra JavaScript file for emojis.
Also, consider lazy loading.
WordPress users can implement lazy loading with theLazy Load by WP Rocketplugin.
Dont let load times get in the way of your success.
