Load speed as a ranking factor
Why speed matters
Speed affects both rankings and conversion: every extra 100 ms of delay lowers the likelihood of a purchase. Google rates sites by the Core Web Vitals metrics — LCP, INP and CLS.
The tool measures server response time, total page size, and the number and weight of loaded resources, and shows exactly what is slowing down the load.
Where to start optimizing
Three things usually give the biggest effect: optimizing images, enabling caching and compression on the server, and reducing the number of third-party scripts (widgets, counters, chats).
Also test speed under mobile conditions: most traffic is mobile, and mobile networks are slower and more sensitive to page weight.