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WordPress PageSpeed Checklist: How We Score 100 on Mobile
A slow website loses visitors, sales, and search rankings. Google measures real‑world speed with Core Web Vitals: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), how fast the main content appears; Interaction to Next Paint (INP), how quickly the page responds; and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), how much the page jumps around while loading.
Most pages on our own website now score 100 in Google PageSpeed Insights, even on mobile, which is the hardest score to get. We did it with free tools: the Hello Elementor theme, the Elementor page builder, and the free version of Seraphinite Accelerator. Here’s the exact WordPress PageSpeed checklist we followed.
Proof: Google PageSpeed Insights mobile test of this article (Oct 10, 2026). Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices and SEO all score 100.
The mobile metrics behind the score: First Contentful Paint 1.2 s, Largest Contentful Paint 1.7 s, Total Blocking Time 0 ms, Cumulative Layout Shift 0 and Speed Index 2.0 s, on an emulated Moto G Power with slow 4G. See the full report.
Good to know: aim for 90 or higher. A score of 90 to 100 is rated “good”, and every point after that is a bonus.
Before you start: test your WordPress PageSpeed
- Open PageSpeed Insights and enter your web address.
- Check the Mobile tab first. Mobile scores are always harder because the test simulates a slower phone and connection.
- Write down your score and your LCP, INP, and CLS so you can measure your progress.
- Scroll to Diagnostics to see exactly what’s slowing your page down.
Tip: PageSpeed Insights runs on Google’s Lighthouse tool. Scores can vary a few points between tests, so run it two or three times.
1. Start with fast hosting
No plugin can fix a slow server, so good WordPress PageSpeed starts with your host. Your host sets your time to first byte, the moment the browser starts receiving your page. Look for:
Every Next Wave Host plan includes all of these. See our built‑in hosting features.
2. Use a lightweight theme and builder
Heavy themes load scripts and styles on every page, even when you don’t use them. We use the free Hello Elementor theme with Elementor, set up our colors, fonts, and buttons once as global styles, and reuse them everywhere. That keeps the code small. Our guide on how to build a WordPress website walks through the setup.
3. Optimize your images
Images are usually the biggest files on a page, the biggest drag on WordPress PageSpeed, and the most common cause of a slow LCP.
- Use WebP or AVIF instead of large JPG or PNG files. We use WebP across our whole site.
- Size images for where they appear. Don’t upload a 3,000‑pixel photo for a 400‑pixel space.
- Lazy‑load images below the fold, so they only load when visitors scroll to them.
- Never lazy‑load your main image at the top of the page. That image is usually your LCP, and it should load first.
- Set a width and height (or aspect ratio) on every image so the page doesn’t jump while it loads.
Lesson we learned: preloading your main image helps, but only if it’s preloaded once. When two plugins both added a preload for the same image, our score dropped. Make sure only one tool handles preloading and lazy loading.
4. Add one caching and optimization plugin
A caching plugin is one of the biggest boosts to WordPress PageSpeed. It saves a ready‑made copy of each page, so WordPress doesn’t have to rebuild it for every visitor. A good one also shrinks your code and loads scripts smarter. We use Seraphinite Accelerator, and it’s the biggest reason our pages score 100.
Seraphinite Accelerator
Free version: yes
Our results: 100 on mobile on most pages
Limit: the free version optimizes up to 5,000 page views a month (caching keeps working after that)
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WP Rocket
Free version: no, paid plans only
Strengths: very popular and easy to set up
Best for: people who prefer a paid plugin with simple settings
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Tip: use only one caching plugin. Two caching or optimization plugins fight each other and usually make your site slower, not faster. If your site grows past the free limit, Seraphinite’s Premium version removes it.
5. Remove render‑blocking scripts
Before a browser can show your page, it has to download the CSS and JavaScript at the top. You can speed this up by:
- Deferring non‑critical JavaScript until after the main content appears
- Delaying third‑party scripts like chat widgets, analytics, and social feeds until a visitor scrolls or clicks
- Loading fonts locally instead of from outside servers, and only the weights you use
- Removing plugins you don’t use, since many add scripts to every page
Your optimization plugin handles most of this for you. Check PageSpeed Insights afterward to make sure nothing important broke.
6. Stop the page from jumping (CLS)
Layout shift is when text or buttons move while the page loads, which frustrates visitors and lowers your score. The fixes that worked for us:
- Give your logo a fixed width on mobile instead of “auto”
- Make sure your main fonts load early, so headings don’t change size when the font swaps in
- Set dimensions on every image, video, and embed
- Reserve space for banners such as cookie notices so they don’t push content down
7. Keep your database clean
Over time your database fills with old post revisions, spam comments, and expired temporary data. To keep it lean, limit revisions by adding this line to your wp-config.php file:
define( 'WP_POST_REVISIONS', 5 );
- Delete spam and trashed comments regularly
- Clear expired temporary data (transients) once a month
- Remove tables left behind by plugins you’ve deleted
8. Use a CDN
A content delivery network (CDN) keeps copies of your images, CSS, and scripts on servers around the world, so visitors download them from a location close to them. Our plans include Cloudflare CDN support.
Your WordPress PageSpeed checklist at a glance
Hosting
LiteSpeed, NVMe storage, current PHP. Improves time to first byte.
Images
WebP, right‑sized, lazy‑loaded below the fold, main image loaded first. Improves LCP.
Code
One caching plugin, minified files, deferred and delayed scripts. Improves LCP and INP.
Layout
Fixed sizes for logos, images, and banners; early fonts. Improves CLS.
Build on hosting made for speed
Our pages hit 100 because they start on fast servers. Every Next Wave Host plan includes the LiteSpeed web server, NVMe SSD storage, CloudLinux isolation, and free SSL, so your site has a head start before you install a single plugin.
See WordPress Hosting PlansNot sure which plan fits? Read Shared vs WordPress vs VPS hosting.
Final thoughts on WordPress PageSpeed
You don’t need expensive tools to improve your WordPress PageSpeed. Start with good hosting and a lightweight theme, optimize your images, and let one well‑configured plugin like Seraphinite Accelerator handle caching and code. Test, fix one thing at a time, and test again.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my mobile score lower than desktop?
PageSpeed Insights tests mobile with a slower simulated phone and network, so every extra file has a bigger effect. Fix your mobile score and desktop usually takes care of itself.
Do I need a paid speed plugin?
No. We reached 100 on mobile with the free version of Seraphinite Accelerator. Busy sites with more than 5,000 page views a month may want the Premium version.
Can I use two caching plugins?
No. Use one. Two caching or optimization plugins conflict with each other and often slow your site down or break features.
Does PageSpeed affect my Google rankings?
Core Web Vitals are part of how Google measures page experience. Helpful content matters most, but a fast site helps you stand out and keeps visitors from leaving.
What is a good PageSpeed score?
90 to 100 is good, 50 to 89 needs improvement, and below 50 is poor.
Want a faster website?
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