Speed Up WordPress: 15 Proven Techniques (2024 Guide)

Why Website Speed Matters

Google uses speed as a ranking factor. Here are 15 proven ways to speed up WordPress:

1. Use a Caching Plugin

Install WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache:

• Reduces server load by 80%
• Serves static HTML instead of PHP
• Free and easy to configure

2. Optimize Images

Use Smush or ShortPixel to compress images without quality loss. Aim for:

• JPG for photos (80-85% quality)
• PNG for graphics with transparency
• WebP format for modern browsers

3. Use a CDN

Cloudflare (free) or StackPath distribute your content globally. Setup in 5 minutes.

4. Minimize HTTP Requests

# Combine CSS files
# Combine JavaScript files
# Use CSS sprites for icons

5. Enable GZIP Compression

Add to .htaccess:

<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/xml text/css text/javascript application/javascript
</IfModule>

6. Optimize Database

Use WP-Optimize plugin to:

• Remove post revisions
• Clean spam comments
• Optimize database tables

7. Lazy Load Images

Images load only when visible. Use a3 Lazy Load plugin.

8. Minify CSS/JS

Use Autoptimize plugin to minify and combine files.

9. Disable Pingbacks/Trackbacks

Settings → Discussion → Uncheck "Allow link notifications"

10. Limit Post Revisions

Add to wp-config.php:

define('WP_POST_REVISIONS', 3);

11. Use Fast Hosting

WebHostWare SSD hosting is optimized for WordPress with:

• NVMe SSD storage
• LiteSpeed web server
• PHP 8.1+ support
• Free CDN integration

12. Disable Hotlinking

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http(s)?://(www\.)?yoursite.com [NC]
RewriteRule \.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$ - [NC,F,L]

13. Use PHP 8.1+

In cPanel → Select PHP Version → Choose 8.1 or 8.2

14. Reduce External Scripts

Limit Google Fonts, social media widgets, and analytics scripts.

15. Monitor Performance

Use GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights monthly to track improvements.