P2Issue #0
Reduce initial server response time
ā What does it mean?
ā What does it mean?
Initial server response time, also known as Time to First Byte (TTFB), is the time it takes for a browser to receive the first byte of data from the server after making a request.
A slow TTFB means the server takes too long to process the request and send back a response, which delays the entire page load.
šØ Why is it important for SEO?
šØ Why is this a problem for SEO?
Delayed Page Rendering ā If TTFB is slow, the browser can't start rendering content quickly.
Poor Core Web Vitals ā High TTFB negatively impacts First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).
User Experience ā Visitors perceive the site as slow and may abandon it.
Crawl Efficiency ā Googlebot may crawl fewer pages if the server is consistently slow.
Ranking Factor ā Google considers page speed (including TTFB) as a ranking signal.
ā
Good TTFB: < 200 ms
ā ļø Needs improvement: 200ā500 ms
ā Poor TTFB: > 500 ms
ā How to Fix It
ā
Best Practices to Fix
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) ā Serve content from servers closer to users (Cloudflare, AWS CloudFront, Vercel Edge).
Enable Server-Side Caching ā Cache HTML, API responses, and database queries (Redis, Varnish, Next.js ISR).
Optimize Database Queries ā Use indexes, reduce complex joins, implement query caching.
Upgrade Server Resources ā Ensure adequate CPU, RAM, and bandwidth.
Use Modern Web Servers ā Nginx, HTTP/2, or HTTP/3 (QUIC) for faster connections.
Minimize Server-Side Processing ā Avoid heavy computations on every request; pre-render or use static generation.
Reduce Redirects ā Each redirect adds extra round trips, increasing TTFB.
Optimize SSL/TLS Handshake ā Use modern TLS 1.3, enable session resumption.
ā Bad Example
š Example
ā Bad (Slow Server Response):
User Request:
GET https://example.com/product/123
Server Processing:
ā¢ No caching enabled
ā¢ Complex database query runs on every request
ā¢ Server located far from user (US server, user in India)
ā¢ Heavy middleware processing
Result:
TTFB = 1,200 ms (1.2 seconds)
š Page feels extremely slow, users may abandon.
š Google penalizes slow TTFB in rankings.
ā Good Example
ā
Good (Optimized Server Response):
User Request:
GET https://example.com/product/123
Server Processing:
ā¢ CDN edge server responds from nearby location
ā¢ Page is cached (Redis/Next.js ISR)
ā¢ Database query is indexed and cached
ā¢ Minimal server-side processing
Result:
TTFB = 120 ms
š Page starts rendering almost instantly.
š Better Core Web Vitals and SEO rankings.
ā
Next.js Example (Static Generation + ISR):
// pages/product/[id].tsx
export async function getStaticProps({ params }) {
const product = await fetchProduct(params.id);
return {
props: { product },
revalidate: 60, // Regenerate page every 60 seconds (ISR)
};
}
export async function getStaticPaths() {
return {
paths: [],
fallback: 'blocking', // Generate on-demand
};
}
š First request generates page, subsequent requests serve from cache = Fast TTFB.
ā” Result
ā” SEO & UX Impact of Fixing
Improved Core Web Vitals ā Faster FCP, LCP, and overall page speed.
Higher Rankings ā Google favors sites with fast server response times.
Better Crawl Efficiency ā Googlebot can index more pages quickly.
Increased Engagement & Conversions ā Users stay longer on fast-loading sites.
Reduced Bounce Rate ā Visitors don't abandon slow pages.
š Target TTFB:
ā¢ < 200 ms: Excellent
ā¢ 200ā500 ms: Acceptable
ā¢ > 500 ms: Needs immediate optimization