Google’s need for speed
Being a avid observer of the results displayed in Google webmaster tools experimental labs feature, site performance, I was mortified to find that on average, pages in my site took anywhere from 10 to 15 seconds to fully load and not the few seconds that I am accustomed to.
In an attempt to find out the reason for the discrepancy between my timings and Google’s I searched for an answer and a solution to my dilemma.
How does Google establish your site’s performance?
According to Google, “Page load time is the total time from the moment the user clicks on a link to your page until the time the entire page is loaded and displayed in a browser. It is collected directly from users who have installed the Google Toolbar and have enabled the optional PageRank feature” and “a specific user may experience your site faster or slower than the average depending on their location and network conditions.”
How did I go about improving my site’s page speed?
As recommended by Google I downloaded Page Speed 1.7 – a Firefox/Firebug Add-on, Firebug 1.5.4 and Yahoo’s YSlow 2.0.7. All evaluate website performance and give suggestions after analysis on how to improve your site without the need to dig into your pocket. Yes, that’s right, they’re all free!
Having a Google Blogger Blog I was restricted to what I could do, but I did find by doing a few simple tasks as suggested by the three sites that my page speed improved dramatically.
What did I do?
Serve Scaled Images: Images resized in HTML (hypertext markup language) are being replaced with images of the exact size that I want.
Specify Image dimensions: I now specify a width and height for images in my HTML. Why? “A web browser can begin to render a page even before images are downloaded, provided that it knows the dimensions to wrap non-replaceable elements around. Specifying these dimensions can speed up page loading and improve the user experience.”
Optimize images: The larger the image size the longer your site takes to load. Images that I considered too large were lowered in size.
Minimize DNS Lookups: By replacing such things as Blog Directory, Facebook and Twitter based images with ones of my own I sped up my page loading. I also moved my Portable Network Graphics (PNG) images that were hosted at other sites to Google Picasa to do the same thing.
Minimize redirects: Any widget that was playing havoc with my blog especially the one that occasionally removed my posts and right sidebar and failed to load in a satisfactory fashion were removed.
Auto Pagination on Blogger: Taking into account Google’s need for speed I set my blog to show only one (1) post per page for faster page loading.
What happened after all this work?
As reported in Google Webmaster tools, my page speed has come down from the usual 15 to 10 seconds to 4.3 seconds!
In an attempt to find out the reason for the discrepancy between my timings and Google’s I searched for an answer and a solution to my dilemma.
How does Google establish your site’s performance?
According to Google, “Page load time is the total time from the moment the user clicks on a link to your page until the time the entire page is loaded and displayed in a browser. It is collected directly from users who have installed the Google Toolbar and have enabled the optional PageRank feature” and “a specific user may experience your site faster or slower than the average depending on their location and network conditions.”
How did I go about improving my site’s page speed?
As recommended by Google I downloaded Page Speed 1.7 – a Firefox/Firebug Add-on, Firebug 1.5.4 and Yahoo’s YSlow 2.0.7. All evaluate website performance and give suggestions after analysis on how to improve your site without the need to dig into your pocket. Yes, that’s right, they’re all free!
Having a Google Blogger Blog I was restricted to what I could do, but I did find by doing a few simple tasks as suggested by the three sites that my page speed improved dramatically.
What did I do?
Serve Scaled Images: Images resized in HTML (hypertext markup language) are being replaced with images of the exact size that I want.
Specify Image dimensions: I now specify a width and height for images in my HTML. Why? “A web browser can begin to render a page even before images are downloaded, provided that it knows the dimensions to wrap non-replaceable elements around. Specifying these dimensions can speed up page loading and improve the user experience.”
Optimize images: The larger the image size the longer your site takes to load. Images that I considered too large were lowered in size.
Minimize DNS Lookups: By replacing such things as Blog Directory, Facebook and Twitter based images with ones of my own I sped up my page loading. I also moved my Portable Network Graphics (PNG) images that were hosted at other sites to Google Picasa to do the same thing.
Minimize redirects: Any widget that was playing havoc with my blog especially the one that occasionally removed my posts and right sidebar and failed to load in a satisfactory fashion were removed.
Auto Pagination on Blogger: Taking into account Google’s need for speed I set my blog to show only one (1) post per page for faster page loading.
What happened after all this work?
As reported in Google Webmaster tools, my page speed has come down from the usual 15 to 10 seconds to 4.3 seconds!
Google's Webmaster site performance graph for St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst - Male Nurses - Blog
As for Pagespeed 1.7 it reported a score of 87/100 with a net speed of 3.31 seconds. YSlow, that was set for small site or blog, giving me a grade B for my efforts.
I encourage my fellow bloggers to take advantage of the services of Google Webmaster tools, Pagespeed, Firebug and YSlow, as it will surely make a huge difference to your site. If you do, please let me know how you get on.
As for me, anything that can help me in finding my St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst classmates is well worth the effort.
To be continued…
I encourage my fellow bloggers to take advantage of the services of Google Webmaster tools, Pagespeed, Firebug and YSlow, as it will surely make a huge difference to your site. If you do, please let me know how you get on.
As for me, anything that can help me in finding my St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst classmates is well worth the effort.
To be continued…
12 comments - care to make one?:
Hey Peter,
True, your page loads faster!
I am going to follow some of the advices presented here - anything to help my blog load up faster. So thanks, mate :D!
I haven't tried Google Webmasters, but I will now...
Have a great weekend, my friend!
Your page loads MUCH faster now! Awesome tips! Im going to have to try these too!
If only I had your mind, brain, and perseverance... great post for those who are able to do something about it..maybe in my next life I'll come back smarter...
Take care my blogging friend, I'll keep coming back to your site.
Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com
Peter:
Absolutely thank you one hundred percent for posting all this golden information. I have suffered many a time trying to load your site, as well as a few others. It was like drinking thick syrup. I just assumed it all had to do with the graphics. But tonight it popped up faster than a cricket can leap from your grasp. You must be doing something right.
Frankly, I don't know squat about all this technical stuff, especially when it comes to web goings on. When it comes to horses and buggies, then I know a thing or two. I think I'm in the wrong century.
By the way, I've been using larger images on my site. Has it caused any problems with loading? If so, then I'll shrink them down a bit. You know, like the Incredible Shrinking Man.
Again, thank you.
Happy trails.
Hi Max! Google Webmaster and Google Analytics is a must for any blogger. If you need any help don't hesitate to ask me for assistance. Again, sorry for the late reply.
Take Care,
Peter
Hi Dorothy! Well, I'm as simple as they come when it comes to this sort of thing. I'm sure you'll be able to do far better than me!
Take Care,
Peter
Hi Meleah! Thinking of going Pro after taking up golf and doing so well? Yes, it is faster and I would hate to remove anything else just to get it going even faster. Some things we just have to leave on our sites!
Take Care,
Peter
Hi Peter,
I am getting started on Google Analytics as we speak; and now I will try to the rest of your tips.
I will ask for your help in case of doubt or difficulty (thanks) :D.
Cheers
Hi Swubird and thank you! Again, I was shocked to find out how long my site took to load for other people. Now explained, I have my finger on the pulse you might say, in trying to get my site loading in double quick time.
Although I doubt I'll ever get it to load in under one to two seconds, as apparently a lot of other sites do.
Now, if I can do it, so can you. Don't sell yourself short, Okay!
As for images, I try to keep them under 200kb. As I don't have Photoshop, I sometimes use a site called, "Picnik" to keep them under that size. Once you've uploaded an image go to the tab called, "Save & Share" to down size them, note: not the actual dimensions but the size.
Your site loads for me quite well, with the behind stuff taking sometime to load however. Beware of widgets, is all I have to say!
Take Care,
Peter
Well, I do love me some golfing - but I doubt I'll ever play well enough to "go pro"! Ahahahahha
Hey Peter thanks for heads up. I do too am all for speed, but I first must find time, lol. Hope all is well with you?
Previously you asked about Matthew's birthday gift - well we took him to McDonald's and got him $1.49 french fries (he was such a happy camper eating them, lol), but then he got tricycle and helmet which he only adores by looking at it, and asks us to tell him stories about it, and we also got him a real bed with bed cover (theme from Cars, Macqueen) - which he likes very much too. And then week later he had a family party and we served Elmo ice cream cake. It been real fun giving him all this, this year, because he understands more, and really truly is very appreciative - always says thank you mommy and thank you daddy, hugs and kisses.
Anna :)
PS Emmi must be talking by now :)
Hi Anna! Good news all-round then. As for Emmi she is going to be a flower girl at a wedding real soon.
Emmi's only words at the moment are, "Dad" and "Mum" but hopefully she will have plenty to say at the wedding for the happy couple.
Take Care,
Peter
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