Analyzing Website Speed Trends: What the Latest Data Shows

Website loading times are getting better overall, however, a recent study reveals that there is still a wide range of performance levels among websites and regions.

The study conducted by DebugBear, a web monitoring company, analyzed information from Google's Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX). This report gathers data on website performance from millions of websites in real-world situations.

The report mentioned that, on average, a website takes 1.3 seconds to load the main page content during a typical visit, using Google's Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) metric to determine when the main content element appears.

Although the median LCP time of 1.3 seconds indicates a relatively quick experience, the data reveals a variety of loading speeds.

On 25% of mobile websites, visitors have to wait over 2.1 seconds for the main content to appear

For the slowest 1% of websites, even an average page load takes more than 5.7 seconds on mobile

The slowest 10% of websites make 10% of users wait over 5 seconds for the LCP on mobile

Almost 1% of mobile page loads take nearly 20 seconds before the main content shows up

“Even on a fast website, some percentage of page views will be slow,” the study reads.

Continue reading for a deeper dive into the study to understand how your website speed compares to others.

Site Speed Divergences

The data reveals divergences in speeds between different user experiences, devices, and geographic locations:

Desktop sites (1.1-second median LCP) load faster than mobile (1.4 seconds)

While 25% of mobile page loads hit LCP in under 1 second, 10% take over 4 seconds

In the Central African Republic, a typical mobile LCP is 9.2 seconds (75th percentile)

Sweden, Slovenia, Japan, and South Korea all had 75th percentile mobile LCPs under 1.7 seconds

The report pointed out that visitors in different countries have varied web experiences due to differences in network connections and device CPU speed.

Additionally, the study revealed that popular sites tend to load faster. The median LCP on the top 1000 sites was 1.1 seconds, while it was 1.4 seconds for the top 10 million sites.

Steady Improvement Continues

DebugBear’s analysis shows that websites have steadily become faster across device types over the past few years despite the variances.

Other loading metrics, such as First Contentful Paint, also showed similar improvements.

According to the report, the First Contentful Paint metric, which is known for its stability and clear definition, has also shown improvement despite potential changes to the LCP definition.

The improvements in page speed in 2024 can be credited to faster devices and networks, enhanced website optimization, and upgrades in the Chrome browser. The study revealed that page speed has shown a consistent improvement. Additionally, it pointed out the varying experiences users had in 2024.

As DebugBear summarized, “A typical visit to a typical website is fast, but you likely visit many websites each day, some slow and some fast.”

Why SEJ Cares

This study takes a yearly look at how websites are improving in terms of loading speed.

Google has been putting a lot of focus on the time it takes for web pages to load, as well as using Core Web Vitals metrics to assess and promote better user experiences.

Speed also plays a role in search rankings. However, its precise weight as a ranking signal is debated.

How This Can Help You

SEO experts can use research findings like this to encourage placing a high importance on page speed throughout a company.

The study points out that even websites that perform well may still have some visitors experiencing slow loading speeds.

Use the study as a reference point to see how your website stacks up against others. If you're not sure where to begin, check out the LCP times in the Chrome User Experience Report.

If a particular section of your site takes much longer than 2.1 seconds to load on mobile, as mentioned in the study, it might be a good idea to focus on improving the front-end performance.

Segment your page speed data by country for websites with an international audience. This can help you identify areas where your site may be slower and can guide you in setting performance goals and improving your content delivery network (CDN) strategies.

It's important to remember that optimizing performance is a team effort. Both SEO specialists and developers need to work together to achieve the best results.

Featured Image: jamesteohart/Shutterstock

Editor's P/S:

The recent study on website loading times provides valuable insights into the current state of web performance. While the average loading speed has improved, there remains significant variation among websites and regions. Notably, mobile websites often experience slower loading times, with a significant portion of users waiting over 2 seconds for content to appear. This highlights the need for ongoing optimization efforts, particularly for websites with a mobile audience.

The study also emphasizes the importance of considering user experience across different devices and locations. Websites may perform differently on desktop and mobile, and geographic factors such as network connectivity and device speed can impact loading times. By understanding these variations, website owners and developers can tailor their optimization strategies to address specific user needs. Additionally, the study reinforces the role of page speed in search rankings, highlighting the importance of prioritizing performance improvements for improved user satisfaction and potential SEO benefits.