SXO is one of the most important elements in evaluating modern websites. User experience parameters indicate a website’s usability. They help assess whether online resources are tailored to user needs, whether navigation is smooth and intuitive, and whether transactions—such as making a purchase—are quick and secure. Meanwhile, SEO affects a website’s ranking in search engines based on specific keywords.
Page Load Speed – What Exactly Does This Parameter Indicate?
It's worth noting that SXO is an extremely important factor when it comes to search engine ranking. SXO impacts SEO, and website positioning must be based not only on keywords but also on a site’s usability. One of the key factors Google considers when evaluating SXO is page load speed.
So, what should you know about this metric?
Page load speed refers to the time required to fully load a website’s resources, measured from the moment the URL is entered in the browser’s address bar or a hyperlink is clicked. Every second of delay results in lower user engagement, weaker search engine rankings, and ultimately, a lower conversion rate.
What is the optimal page load speed? Studies indicate that it should be no more than 2–3 seconds. In practice, the best-performing websites load in less than two seconds. This should be the target.
How Does Page Load Speed Affect SXO and Conversion Rates?
As mentioned earlier, page load speed has a measurable impact on SXO and conversion rates, meaning the desired way users interact with a website. A conversion could be:
- Making a purchase in an online store,
- Selecting a service appointment in a dedicated form,
- Leaving an email address in a contact database.
Why Does Page Speed Have Such a Big Impact on SXO and Conversions?
Because it plays a crucial role in website usability. A visitor opening a website wants to quickly access its content and then potentially make a purchase. If the site takes too long to load, the user is likely to abandon it—meaning no conversion.
Page speed also influences the overall perception and trustworthiness of a website from the user’s perspective. A slow site can seem unreliable, discouraging users from proceeding with a purchase or submitting their information.
A poor page speed score also contributes to a high bounce rate—the metric indicating how quickly users leave a website after landing on it. A high bounce rate can signal frustration with slow load times and deter engagement.
It’s also important to remember that Google’s algorithms, such as Google PageSpeed Insights and Core Web Vitals, regularly assess page load speed and influence a website’s position in search results.
How to Improve Page Speed to Enhance SXO and Increase Conversions?
Several elements can be optimized to improve page load speed:
- Compress website resources and remove unnecessary elements that slow down the site.
- Choose a more efficient hosting provider for better performance.
- Implement caching, a mechanism that temporarily stores data on the user’s device, allowing faster reloading when revisiting the same page.
Fig 1. PageSpeed Inside allows you to check the loading speed of your website
Source: https://developers.google.com/
It's crucial not to overload the website with excessive images, multimedia, animations, and other heavy elements. These significantly affect page load speed. Readability and smooth functionality should be prioritized over unnecessary data-heavy content.
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