Optimizing WordPress Speed: 6+1 Tips to Please Google and Visitors

A slow website is like a rusty doorknob—no one wants to touch it. When your WordPress site drags its feet, you're losing not only visitors' patience but also search engine favor.

A sluggish WordPress is often the result of poor plugin choices, bloated themes, or a lack of knowledge about web speed optimization.

Yet, WordPress is inherently fast. Let's explore how to restore its agility, delighting both Google and your users.

Why is Your WordPress Speed Crucial?#

Website speed isn't just a cosmetic detail—it's a critical factor influencing your online business success.

Speed affects search rankings, conversion rates, bounce rates, and even advertising costs.

Faster Website = Better Results#

What can you gain from speed optimization?

• Lower Bounce Rate
  According to Google, the likelihood of a visitor abandoning a page increases by 90% if the page load time goes from one to five seconds.

• Higher Conversions
  Analysis by Portent revealed that at a 1-second load time, the average conversion rate is nearly 40%. At 2 seconds, it drops to 34%, at 3 seconds to 29%, and at 6 seconds it hits rock bottom.

• Meeting User Expectations
  According to Kissmetrics, 47% of users expect a webpage to load in 2 seconds, and 40% will abandon it if it takes more than 3 seconds.

The average user has no patience for a slow website. And for good reason.

Swift pages earn better rankings and can even lower PPC advertising costs, like click payments in Google's advertising systems. Check out our piece on the reasons for web speed optimization where we explore this further.

Core Web Vitals: It's Not Enough to Be Fast, You Must Be Stable and Responsive#

A key term here is Core Web Vitals—a set of essential speed metrics Google uses to assess websites.

These metrics show how quickly content loads (LCP), how stable the page layout is (CLS), and how responsive the site is to user interactions (INP).

Triad of Core Web Vitals. Not only do they measure user experience, but they also aid Google in assessing websites.

What You Don't Measure, You Can't Improve!#

Before you start speeding things up, you need to know where the shoe pinches.

Measurement is fundamental. How to start?

• PageSpeed Insights is a free quick test from Google suitable for beginners. Focus mainly on Core Web Vitals results for mobile devices. Yes, those numbers at the top. Beware, don't get too fixated on the Lighthouse score, as we'll discuss below.

• Google Search Console shows how your site performs in real-world traffic from the perspective of Core Web Vitals for different types of pages.

• PageSpeed.ONE's Web Speed Test. We offer a free one-time test, but for professional use, we recommend Monitoring PLUS. Speed can deteriorate over time, so it's essential to regularly monitor speed.

How is your site doing? We know thanks to Core Web Vitals metrics in the PageSpeed.ONE monitoring dashboard.

Good measurement is like a precise diagnosis before treatment. Often at PageSpeed.ONE, we see developers optimizing completely the wrong part of the site—like treating a cold when there's a broken leg.

Tips for Optimizing WordPress Speed: Where to Pour Oil Into the Machine#

WordPress is a complex machine with an enormous number of components. Many of them can cause slowdowns.

Let's look at where, according to PageSpeed.ONE's experience, WordPress optimization encounters the most frequent speed hiccups.

1) Hosting: The Solid Foundation of a Fast WordPress#

At PageSpeed.ONE, we've seen it all, including large WordPress sites hosted on sluggish servers for a few euros.

Are you skimping on hosting? It's like building a race car with a Trabant engine. Without quality hosting, optimizations can be just a partial solution.

What are the first steps to ensure your hosting is in order?

• Regularly measure server response time
  Remember the abbreviation TTFB (Time to First Byte). This metric indicates server response time. If your TTFB is slow (above 600-800 ms), a slow database, improperly configured cache, or unsuitable hosting might be to blame. In our monitoring, we track these values every day.

• Check your hosting performance
  Our favorite tool for testing hosting is the WordPress Hosting Benchmark tool. Check out the image below to see how handy this tool is.

• Watch out for database performance
  A slow database manifests itself primarily when loading more complex pages or in the admin area. If displaying a page takes several seconds even without traffic, it's time to check the hosting. Try the Query Monitor plugin, which will show you if slow SQL queries are holding back your site.

• CDN (Content Delivery Network)
  If you're targeting an international audience, consider using a CDN for faster content delivery worldwide. A popular choice is Cloudflare.

Going to optimize WordPress? First, ensure you have a solid foundation with the Hosting Benchmark tool.

Good hosting is like a strong and reliable engine.
Without it, you'll always be inching forward, never racing.

2) Cache: Your Website's Memory Booster#

Imagine having to rebuild your house every day. That's exactly how a WordPress site functions without caching—unnecessarily repeating work already done.

What to do about it?

• Ensure you're using quality caching plugins
  Try plugins like Super Page Cache, flying press, or W3 Total Cache to help with optimal settings.

• Set up your cache properly
  Don't rely solely on automatic settings. Ensure the cache is correctly configured and functional for all content types. You'll notice it mainly in server response times (TTFB).

• Enable browser caching
  This tells the browser to remember images, CSS, and JavaScript and not download them anew every time. It's set in Cache-Control headers. It's a whole science, but Harry Roberts can explain it to you if needed.

• Set up database caching
  DB cache stores results of frequently repeated database queries (e.g., product lists). It's useful for more complexly structured sites.

• Don't forget about object caching
  The so-called "object cache" stores results of database queries. It helps especially on sites with dynamic content or WooCommerce, where complex calculations are often repeated.

• Be careful with personal data
  Just to be sure—never cache pages with individual content (e.g., shopping carts, user profiles). It's dangerous.

Want a specific tip for beginners? In W3 Total Cache, you can simplify settings with the "Setup Guide." After installing the plugin, just click, and it will guide you through the basic choices and set up the cache for you. See the image:

W3 Total Cache helps you with cache settings in WordPress through an easy guide.

The plugin automatically enables the most important cache types you already know from the list above:

• Browser Cache: Ensures the browser doesn't reload static content.
• Page Cache: Stores entire pages.
• Database Cache: Stores results of database queries.
• Object Cache: Speeds up work with repeated requests.

Set everything up well. An experienced developer can tweak values in detail, while recommended values will suffice for you. After setup, ensure the cache is working—mainly noticeable in improved server response times (TTFB) and long-term improvement in Core Web Vitals.

WordPress simply doesn't run well without cache. Give it some extra care in this regard.

3) Plugins: Fewer Add-ons, More Speed#

Plugins in WordPress act like spices. The right amount enriches the dish, but overdo it, and you ruin the entire meal. Each plugin is a potential speed bump for WordPress loading.

• Every single plugin has an impact
  Every installed plugin burdens your WordPress. Regularly check and remove unused plugins. Prefer plugins that precisely solve your problem over "Swiss army knives" that burden your site with unused functions.

• Test performance after installing each new plugin
  After adding a new plugin, always check your site's speed or simply add a note to monitoring.

• Conduct a plugin audit
  Query Monitor or Code Profiler are popular tools for debugging performance in WordPress. Check the output section tracking "Plugins and theme execution time"—how much time each plugin and theme takes.

 Who's consuming the performance? Code profiler output by plugins.

Plugin rule:
WordPress is not Pokémon.
You don't need to catch them all.

4) Page Builders: Convenience Comes with a Cost#

Visual page builders like Elementor or Divi simplify website creation but often generate excess code ("bloat") that slows loading. Use them wisely or consider lighter alternatives.

During optimizations at PageSpeed.ONE, we've witnessed situations where a Page Builder was unnecessary and only complicated things.

However, a properly used builder can be sufficiently quality and fast. Use their features effectively and disable what's not needed. For instance, Elementor allows you to disable unnecessary widgets, so their code doesn't load at all—this helps shape up even with a builder.

Builders are problematic, especially when taken by an inexperienced developer who starts solving every obstacle with a plugin or a large inefficient theme.

4) Theme: The Framework That Determines Your Website's Speed#

Choosing a quality theme for your WordPress site is crucial. The theme influences not only the appearance but also the site's performance.

Don't underestimate theme selection, as it has a significant impact on website speed. Avoid heavy "do-it-all" themes with many unnecessary features. Choose optimized and fast themes focused on performance, but beware—not just based on their Lighthouse score, as we write below!

5) Images: A Slimming Regimen for Bulky Photos#

Your beautiful photos can be secret saboteurs of speed. A single unoptimized image from a camera can add several seconds to a page's load time! We see it daily.

We know a lot about image optimization, but you should remember the following:

• Compression
  Optimize image size without noticeable quality loss. Use tools like TinyPNG or the Smush plugin.

• WebP Format
  Use the modern WebP format, which offers better compression than traditional formats like JPEG or PNG. Most current browsers support it.

• Lazy Loading
  Let images load only when they appear in the user's viewport. This significantly speeds up initial page loading. WordPress has this feature by default from version 5.5, but make sure it's doing it well. More on Lazy Loading.

• Monitoring
  Don't forget to monitor image data volume, for instance, in our Technical report. Poorly optimized images uploaded by someone without sufficient know-how can often ruin site speed.

Someone solved the Christmas catalog but not image optimization.

6) CSS and JavaScript: Regularly Conduct Slimming Regimens#

Let's also look a little at your site's frontend. An overly large frontend code is like an overstuffed suitcase you're trying to close before a flight.

How to lighten the load?

• Minification
  Reduce the size of CSS and JavaScript files by removing unnecessary characters (spaces, comments). Plugins like Autoptimize can help.

• Defer Unused CSS
  Identify unused CSS code and remove it or load it after the main content displays.

• Asynchronous JavaScript Loading
  Load JavaScript asynchronously so it doesn't block page rendering.

Lighten your site by reducing CSS and JS file sizes.

Bonus Tip: Don't Measure Lighthouse Score and Beware of Fraudulent Plugins#

Yearning for a perfect Lighthouse score? Beware of cheap tricks! Some plugins reach a perfect score by cheating—waiting for the user's first scroll before loading JavaScripts.

Lighthouse doesn't test interactions like scrolling, so plugins often achieve high scores by delaying the loading of important files. This practice is questionable at best—you're improving a test score, not the actual speed for users.

In the WordPress world, there have even been cases of outright cheating in calculating Lighthouse scores. For example, the WP-Optimize plugin was caught deliberately not loading certain JavaScript files when it detected a speed test was checking the site.

 _Cheater caught in the act. Don't believe in miraculous Lighthouse score improvements._

Buying a plugin for a 100% Lighthouse score is like treating a cold when you have a broken leg. It looks good, but the benefit is zero.

The Lighthouse score is misleading, and its advice often won't help effectively or at all.

Optimizing WordPress Speed Doesn't Have to Be a Headache#

At PageSpeed.ONE, we have extensive experience optimizing website speed. We've helped many clients significantly improve load times, often impacting not only the user experience but also SEO.

Our audits or smaller WordPress analyses reveal specific opportunities for improving Core Web Vitals metrics (LCP, CLS, INP). No generic Lighthouse advice, but specific recommendations to help you speed up.

By speeding up your site, you'll enhance user experience, gain better search rankings, and positively impact your marketing results.

What You Don't Measure, Slows Down#

Don't forget regular measurement and continuous monitoring. WordPress constantly changes with updates, new plugins, and content, so it's necessary to track its speed continuously, and what you don't track, you can't quickly rescue.

Try our free one-time speed test at PageSpeed.ONE and find out how your site is truly performing. It only takes a few minutes to get clarity.

Want peace of mind long-term? Monitoring PLUS alerts you to any problem before you lose visitors or SEO positions.

Start now. Optimizing WordPress without data is like throwing darts blindfolded.