The First 6 Things to Optimize on Your Website (That Actually Matter)

Discover the first 6 website optimizations that actually matter. Improve speed, mobile usability, SEO, and UX with GPO’s expert strategies that drive results.

When it comes to improving your website, there’s no shortage of advice out there. But not every tweak makes a noticeable difference. Before you spend hours changing button colors or swapping out fonts, focus on the areas that can actually drive performance.

Website optimization is about improving both how search engines understand your site and how users experience it. From speed and structure to content and calls to action, here are the first six things worth your time—and how GPO’s web optimization services can help you make each one count.

Benefits of Website Optimization

When your site is optimized, every part of your digital presence works harder. Optimization improves search visibility, user engagement, and conversion rates, helping you attract more qualified visitors and turn them into customers. It also strengthens site health and longevity, so your site is easier to maintain and adapt as algorithms, tech, and user expectations evolve.

1. Site Speed: Your First Impression

A slow site is a fast way to lose visitors. If a page takes longer than three seconds to load, most users will leave before it finishes loading. While page speed is important for the user experience, it’s also crucial for ranking high in Google. 

Common culprits that slow things down include oversized images, unused scripts, and excessive plugins. To check your site’s performance, use Google PageSpeed Insights or Core Web Vitals to measure key metrics: 

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures loading performance.
• Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures responsiveness.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures visual stability.

Quick Tips:

• Compress and resize images before uploading.
• Minimize redirects and enable browser caching.
• Keep plugins and themes lean and up to date.
• Aim for a load time under 2.5 seconds.
  

Learn more in Does PageSpeed Really Matter?

2. Mobile Usability: Optimize for Every Screen

Over half of all web traffic now comes from mobile devices. If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re losing more than half your potential audience.

A mobile-optimized website automatically adjusts to fit smaller screens, keeps navigation simple, and ensures tap targets (like buttons and links) are easy to use. Clunky design, tiny text, or content that requires zooming can frustrate users and prompt them to look elsewhere.

Quick Tips:

• Utilize a responsive design that adapts to all devices and screen sizes.
• Test buttons and menus on different screen sizes.
• Avoid pop-ups that block key content on mobile devices.
  

3. Crawlability and Indexing: Make Sure You’re Searchable

If search engines can’t crawl and index your pages, they won’t appear in search results, no matter how great your content is. Crawlability refers to how easily search engines can find and read your pages, while indexing determines whether those pages are added to Google’s database.

Make sure your robots.txt file allows important pages to be crawled and that you have a clean XML sitemap submitted in Google Search Console. Broken links, duplicate content, or overly complex site structures can also limit how search engines interpret your site.

As AI-driven search and large language models (LLMs) become more prominent, ensuring your content is crawlable and clearly structured also helps these systems accurately understand and surface your pages.

Quick Tips:

• Use Google Search Console to identify crawl errors.
• Keep your sitemap up to date.
• Avoid orphan pages (pages with no internal links).
• Review your robots.txt to ensure key pages aren’t blocked.
  

GPO’s organic search services help ensure your site’s foundation supports visibility from the ground up.

4. Internal Linking: Guide Visitors (and Google)

Internal links help search engines understand the relationship between your pages and guide users through your content. They distribute authority across your site and help visitors discover more of what you offer.

A strong linking structure makes navigation intuitive and easy to use. For example, a blog about “email marketing best practices” should link to your “marketing automation services” page, while your homepage can link to top-level pages like “About,” “Services,” and “Contact.”

Quick Tips:

• Use descriptive anchor text instead of “click here.”
• Link from high-traffic pages to those that need visibility.
• Add relevant links within blogs and resource pages.
• Every new page should link to at least two others on your site.
  

5. Content and CTAs: Turn Traffic Into Action

Your website content should educate, engage, and convert. High-performing content blends helpful information with clear calls to action (CTAs) that guide users toward the next step.

For example, a service page might include a button that says “Get a Free Consultation,” while a blog post could end with “Read More About SEO Strategies” or “Chat With Us About Optimization.”

Quick Tips:

• Keep content focused, relevant, and easy to scan.
• Use headers, bullet points, and visuals for readability.
• Place CTAs strategically — one strong action per page.
• Link to related resources like Marketing Content Services.

6. User Experience and Navigation: Keep It Simple

Good user experience (UX) is the difference between a site people browse and one they bounce from. Visitors should always know where they are, how to get where they’re going, and how to contact you.

Simplify your navigation bar, use consistent design elements, and make sure important pages are no more than three clicks deep. Intuitive design helps both users and search engines find what they need quickly.

Quick Tips:

• Eliminate unnecessary menu items.
• Check for broken links and outdated pages.
• Use analytics tools to monitor user behavior.
• Organize pages in a clear, logical hierarchy.
  

Quick Optimization Checklist

Build Smarter With GPO

Website optimization doesn’t have to be overwhelming—it just has to be strategic. By focusing on the elements that truly impact visibility and usability, you’ll achieve stronger results more quickly.

If you are ready to focus on the optimizations that actually move the needle, GPO can help. Our team prioritizes the technical and content improvements that impact rankings, engagement, and conversions. From speed to structure, we help turn your website into a true growth engine.

Let’s optimize what matters most.