Why does GTmetrix rate my site high when Google doesn’t?

  • Resolved Hypno_Pboro

    (@hypno_pboro)


    4 years, 7 months ago

    I appreciate this might be an *impossible* question to answer, but I’m stuck.

    I used Async JavaScript and Autoptimize on a couple of sites a few years ago and achieved significant improvements, but this time, although GTMetrix reports Page Speed A 99% and YSlow 91%, the best I’m getting via google’s pagespeed tests are around 70% mobile and 85% desktop.

    Should I delve deeper into minifying CSS etc, or might there be some settings I should try amending?

    Thanks for any suggestions you guys might have.

    The page I need help with: [log in to see the link]

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • Plugin Author Optimizing Matters

    (@optimizingmatters)

    gtmetrix uses older version of pagespeed, hence the difference.

    to improve pagespeed insights I would suggest to start with:
    * enabling page caching in LiteSpeed (or installing a page cache plugin such as KeyCDN Cache Enabler or WP Super Cache)
    * “inline & defer CSS”, see AO FAQ for more info.

    Thread Starter Hypno_Pboro

    (@hypno_pboro)

    Thx everso, will try the steps you’ve suggested above and report back later.

    Thread Starter Hypno_Pboro

    (@hypno_pboro)

    Mmm, now that was … interesting.

    I added in LiteSpeed Cache and disabled Autoptimize (in case they clashed with each other).

    1st run in google speed test without adjusting anything in LSC returned mobile 78-82% & desktop 96-98% (Wow!)

    Then I reactivated Autoptimize alongside LSC and got M 84-86% / D 97% – that difference could be just down to my provider’s servers & so it seems that neither clash with each other.

    It’s quite amazing … I can actually SEE the speed change on my smartphone when I click on a link!

    Thanks for that suggestion, it’s worked very well.

    Next question: Is there anything I should / could test to try to move the mobile results into the green range? I recollect using a website where I could copy and paste my full CSS pages and it would minify them and then I’d paste that back into Autoptimize – is that still the best next steps?

    I can see that when I select “Inline and Defer CSS” in Autoptimize the box I’d filled as above becomes available.

    As I last did this a few years ago I wondered if there’s a better or suggested website to use for minifying the above the fold CSS?

    Here’s the one I think I used previously, https://cssminifier.com and back then I’d taken the CSS file details out from the information that google reports in it’s breakdown about what I could/should improve.

    Thanks for your help and suggestions on this.

    Plugin Author Optimizing Matters

    (@optimizingmatters)

    well, I think the most important thing now is “inline & defer CSS” and providing the “above the fold CSS” or using the critical CSS power-up (which will be integrated in AO 2.7 out next week, info on beta here) to automate all of that.

    Thread Starter Hypno_Pboro

    (@hypno_pboro)

    Well, I think that definitely answers the question & I’ll hold off making any changes until then.

    Just checked at 8am here in the UK and Google Page Speed shows at Mobile 79-83% Desktop 96-97%, so it looks good for now.

    Thanks & I’m looking forward to the update you referred to & then see how that helps before tackling ‘inline & defer CSS’.

    Rgds.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
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