A slow website loses customers and rankings. Google measures speed with three metrics called Core Web Vitals. Here they are in plain language, how to measure your site's speed and what to fix first. We also show what we did on our own site.
The three Core Web Vitals
| Metric | What it measures | Good result |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | How quickly the largest visible element (image, headline) appears | up to 2.5 seconds |
| INP (Interaction to Next Paint) | How quickly the page responds to a click or tap | up to 200 ms |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | Whether the page "jumps" while loading | up to 0.1 |
These are the recommended thresholds published by Google. Good speed improves both the visitor experience and search rankings.
How to measure your site's speed
- PageSpeed Insights: enter the address and get a result for mobile and desktop. Mobile is shown by default and is the stricter one.
- Google Search Console: the "Core Web Vitals" report shows real-user data (if the site has enough visitors).
- Lighthouse in Chrome: in developer tools, good for testing during development.
Keep in mind: lab measurement (Lighthouse) is a simulation and varies by a few points between runs. Field data (real users) shows the actual picture.
10 things that improve speed the most
- Images: the right size (not 4000 px when 800 px is shown), compressed, in a modern format (WebP/AVIF) where possible. Usually the biggest win.
- Lazy loading: load images that are not on the first screen only as you scroll (
loading="lazy"). - Fonts: host fonts on your own server (not a third party), use only the weights and languages you need and preload critical fonts (
preload). - Third-party scripts: every external script (tracking, chat, widgets) slows the page. Remove what you don't need.
- Critical CSS and JavaScript: files that block rendering must be small; load the rest later (
defer). - Video: a background video must be tiny, without an audio track and with a separate mobile version; use a
posterimage. - Hosting and CDN: a fast server and a content network bring files closer to the visitor.
- Caching: use long cache headers for static files.
- Plugins and builders: every plugin has a cost. On WordPress keep the number of plugins small.
- Layout shifts: set dimensions on images and videos and reserve space so the page doesn't move while loading.
Example: our own website
We measured our own site's speed and improved it. At first the homepage's mobile performance was around 74–80 points (heavy content, external fonts and scripts). What we did:
- Moved the fonts and the animation library to our own server and preloaded the critical fonts.
- Made all below-the-fold images lazy-loaded and cut their weight by more than half.
- Split out small background videos for mobile and added poster-image preloading.
- Moved the first-screen text animation to CSS so it doesn't depend on JavaScript.
Result in Google Lighthouse: 100 / 100 / 100 / 100 on desktop and mobile performance of 93+ with 100 elsewhere. Check it yourself: PageSpeed Insights.
How the platform affects speed
Builders and WordPress are convenient, but they often have a ceiling on speed: a lot of code comes along that you don't control. A hand-written site or Webflow gives the most control. Comparison: Wix vs WordPress vs Tilda.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good PageSpeed Insights score?
Google considers a green score (90–100) good. Core Web Vitals matter too: LCP up to 2.5 s, INP up to 200 ms and CLS up to 0.1.
Does speed affect SEO?
Yes, Core Web Vitals are part of Google's evaluation, though content and relevance matter more. Speed also affects whether a visitor stays on the page.
Why is the mobile score lower than desktop?
The mobile test simulates a slower connection and a weaker device, so it's stricter. It's worth focusing on mobile because most visitors come from there.
Can you improve my site's speed?
Yes. We review your site, show what slows it down and propose a fix. If the site is outdated, a new one may make more sense. Ask for a quote.
Want a fast website Google likes?
We build websites that are fast and SEO-friendly from day one.