Paginasnelheid

Wat is paginasnelheid?

Search engines and other tools and services do not typically have a single metric that evaluates the page speed from the moment the resource is requested to the moment it is delivered and rendered. Instead, they rely on multiple metrics to evaluate different periods of your page speed.

This is so because requesting, delivering, and rendering the resources that make up the webpage involves multiple services and networks, which could be out of their control or may deliver overlapping or inaccurate results. That said, here are some of the metrics that are used to evaluate your page speed.

1 Grootste contentvolle verf (LCP)

De largest contentful paint (LCP) measures the time it takes for the largest element on the page to appear within the viewport. This element could be an image, video, or block of text.

The largest contentful paint is among the three metrics (including the cumulative layout shift en interaction to next paint) that Google uses to evaluate your Kernwebvitalen.

Google uses Core Web Vitals to evaluate your page experience, which is a ranking factor. An ideal largest contentful paint time is under 2.5 seconds, while one over 4s is considered poor.

2 Tijd tot eerste byte (TTFB)

De time to first byte (TTFB) measures the duration between the moment a browser requests a resource and when the server returns the first byte of that resource. It is an indicator of server responsiveness and performance and is used to evaluate how quickly the server responds to requests. 

3 Eerste inhoudsvolle verf (FCP)

De first contentful paint (FCP) evaluates how long it takes a browser to display the first visible element of a resource. This metric helps evaluate the initial loading experience and how quickly users perceive that the page is loading. 

4 First Meaningful Paint (FMP)

The first meaningful paint (FMP) measures the time it takes for a webpage’s primary content to become visible to users. This metric helps gauge when users perceive that the page has loaded successfully and is ready for interaction. 

While similar to the first contentful paint, the first meaningful paint focuses on the most important elements that deliver value to users, rather than any random element as in the first contentful paint. 

5 Speed Index

The speed index measures how quickly the visible parts of a webpage appear to a visitor while the page is loading. It is used to analyze visitors’ initial loading experience. 

6 Time to Interactive (TTI)

The time to interactive (TTI) measures how long it takes for a webpage to become fully interactive. This is the point at which the page is fully rendered, and the visitor can reliably interact with it, for example, by clicking its buttons or scrolling down the page. 

7 Total Blocking Time (TBT)

The total blocking time (TBT) evaluates the duration a loading page is blocked from responding to user interactions. This metric indicates how long users may experience a delay while JavaScript and other resources are loading. 

8 Resource Load Time

The resource load time is the duration it takes the individual resources on the page to load. It is calculated per resource and helps identify slow-loading resources. 

9 Server Response Time

The server response time measures the duration between the moment the visitor requests a resource and when the server delivers the first byte of the response. It evaluates how quickly or slowly a server takes to respond to a user request. 

Factors That Influence Your Page Speed

The resources that make up the webpage, along with the servers and other infrastructure and components that host or are used to access them, all affect your page speed. Here are some of those key factors and what you can do to ensure they don’t slow down your site.

1 Images

Large images can slow down a website, leading to a poor user experience and higher bounce rates. To avoid this, use web-friendly image formats like WebP and PNG. You should also consider using services like Imagify to reduce your image size without affecting its quality.

2 Website Code

Your webpage’s HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code can slow down performance. To reduce their effect, it is good practice to minify them. Minification is the practice of removing unnecessary characters, such as whitespace and comments, from code files to reduce their size. 

3 HTTP Requests

Browsers and servers use the HTTP protocol to communicate with one another. As a rule, the more HTTP requests the browser sends, the more time the page takes to load. You can avoid excessive HTTP request issues by minimizing the requests your browser sends to the server. 

You can execute this by combining several files. For example, you can combine CSS and JavaScript files. You can also combine all your image files into a single image. Technisch SEO best practices like caching and lazy loading also reduce HTTP requests. 

4 Render-Blocking Resources

Render-blocking resources, such as CSS and JavaScript files, can prevent the webpage from rendering until it loads completely. Make sure to avoid them by loading your JavaScript files asynchronously or deferring their loading until after the content is displayed. 

5 Caching

Browsers store webpages in their cache. So, if a webpage has not changed since your last visit, your browser will load it from its cache rather than requesting it from the server. 

The browser and server usually control the browser cache. However, bloggers can set their cache control headers to specify how long resources should be stored in the cache before they are deleted. 

6 Netwerk voor inhoudslevering (CDN)

A content delivery network (CDN) is a network of servers that store and deliver content to visitors from the server closest to them. They help to reduce load times, especially for visitors far from your main server, who would otherwise experience slower page speeds due to longer access times.

It is recommended to use a good content delivery network like RocketCDN. A poor content delivery network could be counterproductive and hurt your SEO and page speed.

7 Third-Party Scripts and Plugins

Third-party scripts and plugins can add valuable functionality to your site. However, they send additional HTTP requests and may contain poorly optimized code, which can slow down your site.

To avoid such, only include critical and well-optimized scripts and plugins on your site. Remove the nonessential ones. You should also avoid loading non-essential scripts asynchronously and defer them until the main content has been loaded.

8 Page Size and Complexity

Large and complex webpages take more time to load. So, remove unnecessary elements from the page, compress its files, and minify its code. You should also ensure that your webpage and elements code are well-optimized.

9 Hosting

Your host can affect your page speed. Specifically, slower servers or shared hosting plans can hurt your page speed as your site will be slower to load. In the case of shared hosting, your site may also be hurt when other sites on the server use up more resources than they should. 

To ensure optimal performance, choose a reputable hosting provider that offers fast and reliable server speeds. Regularly assess your hosting plan to ensure it meets your site’s needs, particularly during traffic spikes, and consider options like dedicated hosting or virtual private servers for improved speed and reliability.