Why Website Speed Matters for SEO and User Experience

Your website’s speed can make or break how users and search engines perceive your business. A fast website keeps visitors engaged, boosts satisfaction, and builds trust. In contrast, a slow-loading site frustrates users and can cost you traffic, conversions, and visibility.

As one guide explains, “47 percent of people don’t wait for more than two seconds for a web page to load”  (BrowserStack). That single stat highlights how critical speed is today; every moment of delay risks losing nearly half your audience.

Google also uses site performance as a ranking factor. It has prioritized speed since at least 2010, and continues today through its Core Web Vitals metrics. Faster websites are more likely to rank higher and reach more customers organically. Metrics like Largest Contentful Paint, Cumulative Layout Shift, and Interaction to Next Paint all measure load speed and stability, helping ensure a positive user experience and supporting better SEO.

User engagement and conversions also suffer when a page drags. Cloudflare notes that reducing load time by just 100 milliseconds increased conversions by 1 percent for one retailer, while Walmart saw a 2 percent boost when pages loaded one second faster. The relationship is clear: faster sites keep users, drive actions, and improve results.

Slow websites don’t just underperform; they can actively hurt your business online. Optimizing your site’s speed improves search rankings, reduces bounce rates, and enhances overall satisfaction. In the race for visibility and retention, speed is one of your most substantial advantages.

Sources
BrowserStack, What is Website Speed and Why it Matters?
https://www.browserstack.com/guide/why-website-speed-is-important

Lumar, Why Site Speed Matters for SEO
https://www.lumar.io/blog/best-practice/why-site-speed-matters-for-seo/

Cloudflare, Why Site Speed Matters
https://www.cloudflare.com/learning/performance/why-site-speed-matters/