Site speed is everything when it comes to SEO…so let’s talk about something that could be majorly (and secretly) slowing down your website: your content library.
Yes, more content is better! The more content you create, the more SEO keywords you can own and show up for in searches. However, all that amazing content you’ve been creating? While it’s fantastic for driving traffic and engaging your audience, it might also be weighing down your site if it’s not properly optimized.
If you’re wondering how to optimize WordPress sites and how to improve website speed, you’re in the right place. In this post, we’ll talk about how you can do just that!
Why optimize your WordPress site?
Adding content to your website is kind of like loading your car up for vacation. You keep adding things (and you need all those things!), but the more stuff you add, the slower your car goes and the more fuel it needs.
In website terms, that means slower loading times, higher bounce rates, and potentially lower SEO rankings. Yikes!
But here’s the good news: with some strategic optimization, you can keep all your valuable content while ensuring your site runs like a well-oiled machine.
How to optimize WordPress sites
If your ultimate goal is WordPress site speed optimization then there are a few different places you’ll want to look. Site optimization in WordPress is a multi-faceted operation, so let’s run through each item on our checklist, where people get tripped up, and how to improve site speed with a few tweaks.
Assess your current WordPress setup
First things first: let’s do a quick health and setup check of your WordPress site.
Start by looking at your themes. This is a BIG one. Maybe you’ve tried out a couple of different themes and you never uninstalled those old ones that didn’t quite work out. Also, every year, WordPress “helpfully” adds a new theme for the year. Those have all got to go.
You really only need two:
- Your main theme
- A child theme (if you’re using one—and you should be.)
Everything else? Time to say goodbye! Extra themes aren’t just taking up space – they’re potential security risks, too.
Check (and delete) old post revisions
Next, check your post revisions. While it’s great that WordPress saves every version of your posts, too many revisions can bloat your database. Consider limiting post revisions to 5-10 versions per post. Trust me, you don’t need 47 versions of that blog post from 2019!
Limit post revision backups
Fortunately, you can set a limit on the number of post revisions that are saved to your database.
Just add Add the following line to your wp-config.php file. Just before the line that says /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */
, add the following code:
define( ‘WP_POST_REVISIONS’, 3 );
That little line will make it so the three most recent post revisions are saved (rather than all of them.) The older ones will automatically be deleted.
Limit post revision saves:
Alternatively, you can increase the auto-save interval, so fewer revisions are automatically saved. Open up your site’s wp-config.php file and add the following line at the top:
define( ‘AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL’, 600 );
Usually WordPress will autosave your posts every minute (60 seconds.) So when you change that number to 600, it will save every 10 minutes instead, meaning fewer post revisions stored in the database.
Want the step-by-step guide for editing your WpConfig File?
Here are the steps in written form!
Declutter your media library
Now for the fun part – spring cleaning your media library! Here’s what to look for:
- Unused images (those “final-final-FINAL-v2.jpg” files)
- Multiple sizes of the same image
- Old logos or graphics from previous brand iterations
Pro tip! Before you start deleting, BACK UP YOUR SITE. I can’t stress this enough!
For future uploads, use image optimization tools like WP Smush or TinyPNG to keep file sizes small without sacrificing quality. Your visitors won’t notice the difference in image quality, but they’ll definitely notice the faster loading times.
Streamline CSS and JavaScript
Let’s get techy for a second and talk about minification – removing unnecessary characters from your code without changing its functionality. Think of it like putting your code through a digital detox.
You can do this manually, but most of our clients prefer to use the Nitropack plugin to automatically do it for them.
Cache your site
Caching your website is basically the website version of having a PDF or swipe file instead of manually typing out the same document every time someone needs it. It saves time and resources.
We love using NitroPack for caching, too, because it:
- Creates static versions of your pages
- Reduces server load
- Dramatically improves loading times
Managing WordPress plugins
Too many plugins can slow your site to a crawl and create security vulnerabilities. So it’s time for a plugin audit! Ask yourself:
- When was the last time I used this plugin?
- Do I have multiple plugins doing the same thing?
- Is this plugin regularly updated?
If you can’t remember using a plugin in the last six months, it’s probably time to let it go.
Additional tips for WordPress optimization
Here are some quick wins for better performance:
- Clean your database regularly (remove spam comments, trashed posts, etc.)
- Choose quality hosting that’s optimized for WordPress
- Regularly update your WordPress core, themes, and plugins
Time to optimize your WordPress site!
A well-optimized WordPress creates a better experience for your visitors, makes your life easier as a site owner, and boosts your SEO (it’s a win-win-win!)
Your website should help your business grow, not hold it back. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the technical aspects of optimization, we’re here to help!
Ready for a faster WordPress site?
Want to make sure your WordPress site is performing at its best? We offer professional wordpress speed optimization services that include performance optimization recommendations. Book a call to chat about it now!