Back in 2010 when Google made its first announcement about the importance of page load speeds and how it impacts user experience, the SEO industry had yet another method of improving page rankings. The advantage of page speed as a ranking signal, is that it is quantifiable and comparable. You can see fast your pages load, how you can improve, and how your site compares to the competition. According to Rack Alley, here are the primary methods of improve page load speed:
External embedded content
Videos, media players, ads, can drastically slow down your page load speeds. If you must include video content, host it on your own server.
Browser optimization
The five primary browsers all deal with content differently, and what loads fast on one, might be slow on all the others. Test all your content on different browsers to make sure the experience is consistent.
Hosting provider
Anyone serious about a website should find a proper host and avoid these cheap hosting providers. Ideally you want a hosted solution at an LA data center to give you the kind of speed, and reliability you need.
Site design
Most websites are basically a CMS with a custom or modified theme. Often, the themes are not optimized for speed, have large images, and a lot of unnecessary scripting. Do a complete audit of your theme to clear out any cruft.
Remember that the page load speed measurement is how long it takes to load your entire website, not just your page. The final time is when your page renders completely in the browser. Always take that into account when planning improvements.
