Page Speed & SEO: The 10 Fixes That Improve Rankings (Fast)

Page speed is one of those SEO topics that feels… obvious. Like, yes, a faster page is better. Everyone agrees. Then you run a PageSpeed test, it screams at you in red, and suddenly it’s not obvious at all.

Because what do you actually fix first?

Also, here’s the part people miss. Page speed is not just a technical score. It’s a ranking signal, sure, but it also changes how users behave. Slow page means fewer pages per session, lower time on site, more pogo sticking back to Google. All the stuff that quietly tells Google, yeah this result did not satisfy the search.

So in this post, I’m going to keep it practical. These are 10 fixes that usually move the needle quickly. Not theoretical, not “rebuild your site from scratch”. Real things you can implement this week and see improvements.

Before you touch anything, check the right speed metrics

Quick grounding, because it saves you hours.

Google cares most about real world performance, not just lab tests. That means:

• Core Web Vitals (from real Chrome users if you have enough traffic)
• LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): how fast the main content shows
• INP (Interaction to Next Paint): how fast the page reacts to user input
• CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): how much the layout jumps around

Tools to use:

• Google Search Console: Core Web Vitals report
• PageSpeed Insights: combines lab + field data
• Lighthouse: good for debugging
• WebPageTest: if you want to go deep

Ok. Now the fixes.

1. Fix your LCP image first (it’s usually the hero)

If you want the fastest SEO win, start here. On many sites, the LCP element is a big hero image or banner near the top.

What to do:

• Convert hero images to WebP or AVIF
• Use correct sizing, not a 4000px wide file being displayed at 1200px
• Preload the LCP image
• Avoid lazy loading the hero image (yes, people do this and it backfires)

What it looks like in practice:

• If your hero image is background CSS, consider switching to an actual <img> so the browser can prioritize it properly.
• Add preload:

html

If you only do one thing in this entire article, do this. LCP improvements often correlate with better CWV status, and that’s the kind of cleanup Google actually rewards long term.

2. Compress and resize every image (not just the obvious ones)

Most sites have image bloat everywhere. Blog thumbnails, author headshots, screenshots, logos. The death by a thousand PNGs situation.

Fast fixes:

• Convert all images to WebP/AVIF where possible
• Set a max width for content images (you probably do not need 2400px screenshots)
• Use responsive images (srcset) so mobile gets a smaller file
• Run a bulk compression pass (ShortPixel, Imagify, Cloudinary, etc.)

Also, don’t forget this tiny thing that helps CLS too:

• Set explicit width and height on images so the browser can reserve space

html

3. Use lazy loading properly (and stop lazy loading above the fold)

Lazy loading is beneficial when used for images that are not immediately needed. However, it can be detrimental when applied to:

• the hero image
• the first large content image
• the top of page product image on ecommerce
• critical icons needed for layout

What to do:

• Lazy load images below the fold
• Keep above the fold images eager loaded
• If you’re on WordPress, check whether your theme or plugin is being “helpful” and lazy loading everything

Basic pattern:

html <img loading="lazy" ...>

But again, do not apply it blindly.

4. Eliminate render blocking CSS (or at least reduce the damage)

This is where most speed audits start yelling about “render blocking resources”. It usually means the browser has to download CSS before it can paint.

What actually helps:

• Inline critical CSS (just what’s needed for above the fold)
• Defer non critical CSS
• Remove unused CSS from page builders and giant themes

If you’re on WordPress, common culprits:

• heavy multipurpose themes
• multiple design plugins
• page builders that load sitewide CSS even on simple pages

Sometimes the fastest “fix” is honestly to stop loading three separate design systems at once.

5. Defer or delay non critical JavaScript (INP is the new pain)

INP replaced FID, and it’s more realistic. If your page feels laggy, INP will punish you.

Fast fixes:

• Defer non essential scripts
• Delay third party scripts until interaction (chat widgets, heatmaps, some trackers)
• Remove unused plugins that inject JS on every page
• Split big JS bundles if your stack allows it

You can often get a surprising win by delaying:

• live chat widgets
• popup scripts
• affiliate tracking scripts
• A B testing tools

Yes, marketing tools are useful. But if they tank performance, they also tank conversions. So you end up paying twice.

6. Clean up third party scripts (they are speed debt)

This one is unglamorous but it works.

Go through your site and list every external script:

• analytics
• tags
• pixels
• chat
• scheduling widgets
• embeds (Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
• font providers
• review widgets

Then ask two questions:

1. Do we still need it?
2. Does it need to load on every page?

Some quick rules that help:

• Put conversion scripts only on pages where conversions happen
• Use server side tracking if possible (less client JS)
• Replace heavy embeds with lightweight placeholders (load the embed only when clicked)

The point is not “no scripts”. The point is fewer scripts, loaded later.

7. Fix CLS by reserving space for everything that moves

CLS is the layout jump metric. It’s also one of the most annoying user experiences.

Common causes:

• images without width/height
• ads that load late and push content down
• cookie banners that shift layout
• fonts swapping and changing text sizes
• accordions, sticky headers that expand

Quick fixes that usually work:

• always set dimensions on images and video embeds
• reserve space for ads with fixed containers
• load cookie banners in a way that does not push content (overlay instead of shifting, if possible)
• use font-display: swap carefully, and consider matching fallback font metrics

If your pages “jump” while loading, Google sees that. Users definitely feel it.

8. Improve server response time (TTFB) with caching and better hosting

Sometimes page speed is not front end at all. It’s your server taking too long to respond.

Things to check:

• Is your hosting overloaded?
• Are you running too many dynamic queries per page load?
• Are you missing full page caching?
• Are you far from your audience geographically?

Fast fixes:

• Enable full page caching (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, Cloudflare APO for WP)
• Add object caching (Redis, Memcached) if your platform supports it
• Use a CDN for static assets
• Upgrade hosting if you’re on a budget shared plan and it’s choking

TTFB matters because everything depends on it. If the first byte arrives late, the whole waterfall shifts right.

9. Use a CDN and set proper cache headers (so repeat visits fly)

This one is a classic because it’s effective.

A CDN helps by:

• serving images, CSS, JS from servers closer to the user
• absorbing traffic spikes
• enabling modern optimizations (image resizing, compression, HTTP/3, etc.)

Also, set caching correctly:

• long cache for versioned assets (like app.7c91.css)
• shorter cache for HTML pages if your content changes often

On many sites, you can get a real speed boost just by using Cloudflare properly, not even the paid stuff. Basic CDN plus smart caching is already a win.

10. Reduce DOM size and page “weight” (cut the hidden bloat)

A page can be “fast” in file size but still slow because it’s too complex. Too many elements, too many nested divs, too many UI components all at once.

Common causes:

• page builders that output massive DOM trees
• mega menus with 200 links
• hidden sliders, carousels, tabs loaded even when not used
• giant footer sections, multiple repeated blocks

Fixes:

• simplify layouts, especially above the fold
• remove sliders (they are almost never worth it)
• paginate or collapse large content blocks
• use simpler templates for blog posts (posts don’t need the same heavy layout as homepages)

This is one of those “feels like design” problems, but it’s performance and SEO too.

How page speed ties back to rankings (the part you can actually influence)

It’s tempting to treat this as purely technical. Like, get the PageSpeed score to 95 and Google will reward you. Not exactly.

Here’s what actually tends to happen:

• Faster pages improve UX
• UX improves engagement metrics and conversion behavior
• Better engagement reduces bounce and pogo sticking
• Google sees that users are satisfied, plus CWV is healthier
• Rankings become easier to maintain and grow

So page speed is both direct and indirect. It’s a multiplier.

And if you’re working on broader on page improvements at the same time, speed wins become more visible. If you need a structured on page checklist alongside these performance fixes, you can use this guide on how to improve on page SEO to make sure you’re not just speeding up a page that is thin, messy, or misaligned with intent.

A quick workflow I like (so you don’t get stuck in audit hell)

This is the simple loop:

1. Pick 5 high value pages (top traffic, top conversions, or pages sitting positions 4 to 12)
2. Run PageSpeed Insights and check what the LCP element is
3. Fix the LCP image and render blocking assets first
4. Clean third party scripts
5. Re test and ship

Repeat.

If you want something that feels more like a structured inspection, an on page SEO checker can help you catch issues that overlap with speed and SEO. Stuff like bloated templates, heavy elements, missing image attributes, internal linking gaps, that kind of thing. Not all tools catch performance problems well, but they do help you prioritize which pages matter.

One more thing: speed without content is still… nothing

I have seen people obsess over shaving 200ms off their LCP while the page itself is barely answering the query. That’s not a great trade.

Speed fixes should go with content updates, because then you get the best combo:

• better relevance and intent match
• cleaner structure and internal linking
• faster load and smoother interaction

If you’re already creating or updating content regularly, you can streamline the content side with an AI editor that actually focuses on SEO structure. This is where something like the AI SEO editor inside SEO Software can be useful. You can tighten intros, fix headings, add missing sections, improve readability, and generally get pages to a “this deserves to rank” standard. While your dev side tackles speed.

And yeah, if you’re trying to do content at scale, SEO Software (the platform at https://seo.software) is built around that hands off workflow. Scan site, generate topic strategy, create articles, publish on a schedule, handle internal links. It’s basically the opposite of manually duct taping together five tools and a spreadsheet.

The fast checklist (so you can act immediately)

Here’s the same 10 fixes, just condensed:

1. Optimize and preload the LCP hero image (WebP/AVIF, correct sizing)
2. Compress and resize all images sitewide (plus width/height attributes)
3. Lazy load below the fold only, avoid lazy loading above the fold
4. Reduce render blocking CSS, inline critical CSS if possible
5. Defer and delay non critical JS, reduce main thread work (INP)
6. Remove or limit third party scripts, load only where needed
7. Fix CLS by reserving space for images, ads, banners, fonts
8. Improve TTFB with caching, better hosting, and fewer dynamic bottlenecks
9. Add a CDN and proper cache headers for static assets
10. Reduce DOM size and template bloat, simplify heavy layouts

Wrap up

Page speed SEO is not about chasing a perfect score. It’s about removing the biggest friction points that slow down users and stop Google from trusting the experience.

Start with the LCP image. Then JS. Then third party junk. You’ll usually see results faster than you think.

And if you want to pair speed wins with content wins, go through your priority pages using an on page SEO checker, tighten content with the AI SEO editor, and keep the broader basics covered with this guide on improving on page SEO. That combo tends to move rankings in a way that actually sticks.