How to use the speed test tool

There are so many tools and applications for our industry that it is impossible to know about each one.

There are many questions to ask when looking for a tool to help us solve problems such as what they do, what they cost, what they are used for, and so on.

Today, we’ll be going over GTmetrix, a speed testing tool.

We will review the uses, how to use the tool and what to do with the result.

What is GTmetrix?

GTmetrix It is a web-based tool that provides website speed analysis.

It analyzes a site’s load time, volume and requests, and generates a score with recommendations for improving it.

This tool can be used by website owners, engineers, SEO professionals and others to measure their site’s performance and look for room for improvement.

How to use GTmetrix

The GTmetrix tool is available on a website that you can access online.

You don’t need an account to get started – but you do if you want to be able to edit the location and browser type.

To use GTmetrix, plug your URL into the website.

Once the report is complete, you can review the metrics provided (we’ll go into more detail about their meanings below).

You will receive a summary overview showing GTmetrix Grade, Web Vitals and speed views.

The speed image is a great way to overlay the metrics to see what your website looks like when it loads.

Below, the main issues are listed under the general headings: First Content Color (FCP), Largest Content Color (LCP), Total Block Time (TBT), and Cumulative Position Shift (CLS).

It also provides an impact rating that helps with prioritization.

Although these are the first available after completing the test, GTmetrix recommends focusing on the specific audits found on the Structure tab.

Let’s take a look at each of the different tabs in GtMetrics and how they are useful.

Performance tab

The Performance tab provides insight into various performance-based metrics, including FCP, Speed ​​Index, CLS, and other browser-specific metrics.

Structure tab

This is the section where GTmetrix recommends you get started. This section lists the various audits of the instrument and its effects.

In these audits there is detailed information on what needs to be fixed.

Most of this information is technical, and if you need a better understanding, GTmetrix provides a “Learn how to fix this” button that takes you to a wiki that explains in detail how this issue works, how it works, and how to fix it.

Here’s what’s most important: It provides what experience is needed to make these improvements.

Waterfall tab

This tab displays a waterfall chart and details of each action in a waterfall approach.

Here, you should pay attention to resources that take a long time to load.

Hover over the property row and you can see in detail why the resource is taking so long to load.

In this example, we can see that it took around 700ms to respond to the server – this may indicate server issues that can be resolved by using CDN for resources.

Video Tab

This tab provides an option to record a video of the page loading and to point out various issues with the page.

You need an account to use this tool.

History Tab

Here you can see graphs that show changes over time in your page metrics like page sizes, interaction time, and results.

This is a great way to measure your progress over time.

What is the GTmetrix metric?

As we discussed above, GTmetrix is ​​as comprehensive as its results, but what it measures is also important.

GTmetrix section overview

GTmetrix rating

This is a metric that helps you understand the overall performance of your website.

The ranking is determined by taking into account the loading time of the users and the architectural design of the website.

A website that loads quickly may receive a higher rating for performance, while a website with slow loading times or poor architectural design may receive a lower rating.

performance result

The performance score, as reported on the GTmetrix website, can be compared to the Lighthouse Performance Score.

This is valuable information for anyone interested in understanding the metric and its relationship to other performance metrics.

Structure

The structure level combines GTmetrix’s custom audit proprietary assessment with Lighthouse assessment.

The result shows how well the site is designed for performance.

Web vitals

This section highlights the metrics Google uses to determine whether a website is generating what it calls an “enjoyable experience.”

Large Content Color (LCP)

LCP refers to the time it takes for the most important element on your website to load where the user can see it.

A good user experience will be 1.2 seconds or less.

Total Block Time (TBT)

TBT is a Lighthouse metric created to measure your website’s load response to user input.

It is to measure the amount of time that the user is blocked from connecting.

This replaces the initial input delay (FID) used in Page Speed ​​Insights.

Cumulative change of position (CLS)

CLS is a metric that measures the unexpected switching of page elements while the page is loading.

This metric is also used in Google Web Vitals.

This is meant to rate the website’s stability.

Conclusion

GTmetrix provides valuable insights and data to improve your website’s performance.

It serves as a comprehensive tool to assess your site’s security and identify factors affecting your search engine visibility.

Using GTmetrix, you can take proactive steps to improve and improve your online presence.

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Featured Image: Billion Photos/Shutterstock