TTFB (Time to First Byte)
TTFB stands for Time to First Byte and measures the time between the browser's request and the first byte sent back by the server. This value doesn't describe how quickly your page loads, but rather how long the server takes to respond.
Good values are below 200 milliseconds; above approximately 600 milliseconds, the sluggishness becomes noticeable. High values usually have one of four causes: an overloaded shared hosting package, slow database queries, lack of caching, or a remote server location.
TTFB (Time To First By) isn't a direct ranking factor, but it affects everything that is one. Every millisecond of waiting time delays the page loading process and thus worsens Core Web Vitals . The same applies to visitors: the page feels sluggish before anything is even visible.
You can measure this value in your browser's developer tools, in PageSpeed Insights, or in Search Console. We use LiteSpeed servers with server-side caching, which is why our clients' websites typically achieve double-digit millisecond loading times.
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