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Core Web Vitals

What Is Page Speed?

Page speed refers to how quickly a web page loads and becomes interactive, encompassing metrics like TTFB (Time to First Byte), FCP, LCP, and total load time. Google uses page speed as a ranking signal via Core Web Vitals, and it directly affects both user experience and AI search citations.

Why Page Speed matters for SEO

Slow pages have higher bounce rates, lower conversion rates, and earn fewer AI citations. Google's PageSpeed Insights scores pages 0-100 based on six metrics. Pages scoring under 50 are considered slow. After the March 2026 update, page speed is evaluated site-wide.

Pro tip on Page Speed

Compress images to WebP/AVIF. Enable brotli/gzip compression. Minimize and defer JavaScript. Use a CDN. Enable browser caching. Reduce server response time. Lazy-load below-fold images.

Related terms

Core Web VitalsCore Web Vitals are the specific page speed metrics Google uses for rankingLCPLCP is the most impactful page speed metricFCPFCP under 0.4s is critical for AI search citations

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