What is Google PageSpeed Insights – Performance? + Why does it matter?
PageSpeed Insights (PSI): A tool created by Google that reports real-world page data about performance, usability, and SEO. In this article we will be covering the metrics measured in the Performance score.
This data is reported directly back to Google and used in the process of ranking your website in search results.
Performance:
This is one of the major scores that Google PageSpeed Insights evaluates. It audits not only how fast your website loads, but all of the activities that are required to make that happen. On a more technical level, it considers your First Contentful Paint, Largest Contentful Paint, Total Blocking Time, Layout Shifts, and Speed.
What is a First Contentful Paint?
Imagine this is a short time lapse of your website loading in. This metric measures the first point of contact that the visitor has and the time duration it takes for them to get there, or “see the object”. This tells the visitor that something is happening. The faster this happens, the better.
What is a Largest Contentful Paint?
Each page of a website is split up by sections, rows, and media. This metric measures how quickly the complete main section of your web page loads. This can be a large image, video, heading text, body text, or a combination of multiple. It measures this within the devices viewport or the loading area in which that particular device can capture size wise. Similar to a “cropped area”. It measures how fast the cropped area loads. This analyzes all of the elements that load inside the devices capture range.
What is Total Blocking Time?
Have you ever tried to do something while a web page was loading and were blocked or prevented from doing so? This could be from “clicking” or “touching” objects or interacting with any of the page elements. Basically this metric measures the total time you are blocked from doing anything on the webpage while your “First Contentful Paint” is completed. This metric depends on how fast your last loading item completes as that’s when your browser can respond and provide you with the ability to receive it’s next task from you. Like a click, or a touch..
What is Layout Shifts?
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This is a basic example of a shifting layout. This metric measures how your website moves by going from one dimension element to another, late loading objects like buttons, images, or if your website max width has dramatic changes in its design, causes Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
If you captured the above elements in a square box as wide as the widest element, the dimensions of that box would change until the widest element loads. If that is a late loading item, it creates a shift in the layout.
Speed
All of the above metrics are factored into your Speed Index score. Imagine a flip book of screenshots taken during your website loading process. Some would be white, or blank, this metric measures the time between “blank” and visible.
Why does this matter to your dental practice?
PageSpeed Insights is a tool made by Google that uses Lighthouse as its analysis engine. Google uses the data collected in how your website performs, it’s usability, and SEO elements as factors in ranking search results. Want to show up on the first page of Google Search Results? Learn more about SEO for Dentists and how we can help grow your practice with new patient leads.