7 Key SEO Tips To Boost Page Speed On Your WP Website

The average website has very little time to impress the people who come and check it out. Statistics vary, but some people say that you’ve got less than 7 seconds to give them what they’re looking for, or they’ll head off to another site. That’s not a lot of time to get their attention! Luckily, you can get help. Here’s 7 tips that will help you boost your page speed and get readers’ attention.

1. Test your website regularly

Many website owners think that their websites are fine, because they visit them all the time and they don’t feel slow at all. This is a big mistake on their part, as they don’t realise that their browser is probably caching the site and making it quicker to load on their machine. Users in other countries, using different browsers and operating systems, may not be getting the same speeds.

The best thing to do is test your website on a dedicated speed testing tool. This will give you the breakdown on what works and what doesn’t, so you can start making changes if needed.

2. Look at your server

Some websites experience issues based on the server they’re using. The biggest issue is with shared servers. They can save you a lot of money, but in the long term they aren’t helpful. If a neigbouring site is getting a lot of traffic, it’s going to slow your site down.

The best thing to do is assign your site to a dedicated, managed WordPress server. These are designed with WordPress in mind, so they should be running at optimal speeds for your site.

3. Optimize your images for speed

If you’re running a good quality website, then you already know that good images are essential for keeping readers coming back. They add depth and quality to your blogs, and help illustrate important points.

What you may not realise, though, is that the images you’re using are actually slowing down your site. The best way to optimise your images for speed is to look at what file formats you’re using. PNG files are higher quality, but they’re often much larger and take longer to load. JPEG files are compressed, meaning they’re smaller and much better for websites.

4. Hire expert writers and proofreaders

A large part of what makes a reader stay on your site is whether the content really speaks to them. If they can’t find anything they can use, they’re going to click away. That’s why it’s so important to get a good writer. They can take your topics and turn them into great compelling content that readers can use.

If you’re not sure where to start looking for a writer, try starting on freelancing websites. You can post your job and hire the best writer for the job. Here’s some sites you can try:

· Upwork
· State Of Writing
· Paper Fellows
· People Per Hour
· Elite Assignment Help

5. Keep WordPress updated

As an open source project, WordPress is always being tweaked with. With every new update will come bug fixes, meaning it can make the site faster. When you get the prompt to update, always make sure that you do it.

6. Don’t upload video directly to your page

Video is a great way to engage your audience, and they’ll love the varied content that they’re getting. However, you need to be careful about how you use it. If you upload directly to WordPress, it can have a disastrous effect on your load times. Instead, upload your video to a hosting site such as Youtube, and embed the video in your post.

7. Enable caching

Remember caching, mentioned earlier in this article? It can work to help your readers. If you enable caching, the first time they visit they may have to download aspects of the site in order to view it. The second time though, those aspects will already be cached, ready for them. This makes viewing the site much faster and easier.

Conclusion

These are all quite simple tips, but you’ll be surprised at the difference they make. Give them a try for yourself, and see what you think.