What is Time To First Byte (ttfb)?
When it comes to optimizing site speed, most of us focus on front-end performance and optimizing site page loading speed. But if we want to look at this issue from the perspective of servers and hosts, there are factors that their optimization will play an effective role in improving the speed of the site and the user experience of the audience; Factors like Time To First Byte. But what is ttfb?
ttfb is a site speed optimizer that is defined to measure how long a browser has to wait to receive the first byte of data from a server. The role of ttfb in SEO and site user experience is undeniable, so we decided to say in detail in the following article what Time To First Byte is, how it is measured and what role it plays in SEO. At the end of this article, in addition to knowing the TTFB factor, you will also get acquainted with its free measurement tools and 7 professional techniques for improving the site’s ttbf.
What is Time To First Byte?
ttfb stands for Time To First Byte and refers to the time interval when an HTTP Request is sent from the browser to the server and the browser has to wait to receive the first byte of data. In calculating this time, network latencies and the time required for DNS Lookup are also taken into account. ttfb is one of the most important factors in evaluating the performance and speed of a site. The lower the ttfb value, the faster the site will load.
Components of ttfb time or site waiting time
To answer the question of what is ttfb, we must say that ttfb consists of 3 separate components. In fact, the numerical value of Time To First Byte is estimated under the influence of these three factors:
The time required to send an HTTP Request or HTTP Request Time
When we open a site in the browser, an HTTP request is sent to the server by the browser. The time it takes for this request to arrive from the browser to the server depends on several factors:
- The geographical distance between server and user
- User internet speed
- DNS Lookup Duration
- Existence of a firewall between user and server
The time required to process the request by the server or Process Request Time
Once the server receives the HTTP Request, it processes it and responds. The time it takes to send a server response to a browser depends on several factors:
- Do not use caching mechanisms
- Lack of optimization of the template or code used
The time required to receive the first byte of data sent by the server or HTTP Response Time
After the server prepares the user’s response, it sends it. In the first receipt of data from the server, factors such as user Internet speed and server speed must play an important role.
The most common factors influencing the downtime of ttfb site
According to the explanations that we provided about the influential factors in the ttfb of the site, the most common factors that are effective in increasing and negatively affecting ttfb in the site SEO are:
- Network problems (such as geographical distance, low bandwidth, etc.)
- The inability of server resources to transfer data (RAM, CPU, disk I / O, and 2)
- Poor database design or configuration
- Lack of optimization of site code and format, lack of caching mechanism, and poor web server configuration in general
- Static or dynamic content
In general, any website that has a better performance speed or responds to its users’ requests sooner, will be more noticed by users and, of course, search engines. To read more about this topic, we suggest you read the article ” Site Speed Optimization “.
But what exactly is the role of ttfb in SEO? Why is paying attention to it so much to improve the site user experience? In the next section, we will answer these questions.
Why is the performance and speed of ttfb important in SEO?
In the previous section, we learned what Time to First Byte is and what components it is affected by. In the following, we want to examine the role of Time to First Byte in SEO and site speed. To do this, we must first know whether Google uses ttfb to rank sites in search results?
Google’s attitude towards ttfb in SEO
In 2017, John Müller (Google Webmasters Analysis Manager) tweeted in response to a user’s question about the importance of Time to First Byte in site speed, which you can see below.
“We are not currently using TTBF for any search or ranking work,” said John Müller. “ttfb can be a good proxy for fast user exposure, but like other metrics, do not focus blindly on it.”
Of course, site speed is an important ranking factor and ttfb can be a part of it, but Time to First Byte alone is not used as a ranking factor. ttfb can not directly affect Google rankings, as it depends on the connection delay or the geographical distance between the server and the user, but it affects other factors that play an important role in Google rankings.
Which of the following factors affects ttfb ranking?
A study conducted in 2019 by the research company PORTENT on the effect of site speed on-site revenue shows that every extra second spent by users to load the site reduces the conversion rate by 4.42%. This means that ttfb affects the conversion rate of the site. Because the longer the ttfb time is, the longer the user has to wait for a response from the browser.
ttfb also affects the ranking of our site on the SARP results page. Neil Patel, a leading internet marketing expert, has found in his research that low ttfb is directly related to our website’s chances of getting to the top of the SERP page.
Apart from ttfb, there are hundreds of other factors that affect SEO and site conversion rate. But we believe that this factor is also important and should not be ignored. In the next section, we will get acquainted with the Time To First Byte measurement criteria.
What is the best ttfb value for SEO?
Most experts recommend that the ttfb value should not exceed 100 to 200 milliseconds. Of course, in some cases, the level of 50 to 100 milliseconds can be reached. According to Google’s recommendations, ttfb should not exceed 600 milliseconds. If our website has a higher ttfb score, we should plan to optimize it as soon as possible.
What are the metrics of ttfb site?
In the definition of ttfb we said that this criterion includes the time required to send a request to the server, process that server request, and receive the first byte of data. According to this definition, two factors are effective in measuring ttfb:
1. Network profile and content provider
The greater the distance from the client to the server, the longer it takes for the request to reach the server. Choosing the shortest route is important for sending and receiving requests quickly and successfully.
2. Web server settings and parameters
The server must be able to process and respond to requests quickly. To avoid delays in server performance, its capacity must be high. Optimizing request processing speed settings may be problematic due to incorrect server settings. So pay attention to the server settings as well.
Content type is also one of the effective criteria in ttfb value. Static content is usually recovered faster than dynamic content, as it can remove some of its data from the cache and load the first byte faster.
Learn about 4 free and practical ttbf measuring tools
There are several tools for measuring site speed parameters, including tools for measuring ttfb. In the following, we will get acquainted with these tools and how to use them:
1. GOOGLE CHROME
We can check the TTFB value ourselves in Google Chrome. This method is very convenient to use. Just open the desired page in the Google Chrome browser. Go to the More Tools section and go to the Network tab. In this section, we refresh the page to view real-time download statistics for site elements.
If you click on one of the requests and go to the Timing tab, you can see the ttfb value for that request. You can also hover your mouse over the graph in front of the request in the Waterfall section and see the same information.
2. GOOGLE ANALYTICS
If you’ve already used Google Analytics, you know that this is the easiest way to view the site’s ttfb value, and you do not need to use other non-free programs. To use this tool, we must first go to the “Behavior” section. Then click on “Site Speed” and go to the Overview section.
3. GEEKFLARE
Another method we suggest for accurate ttfb measurement of the site is GEEKFLARE. This tool is quite easy to use, all you have to do is enter the site url in the specified field and click the TEST TTFB button.
4. Gtmetrix
The next tool is the popular and versatile GT Metrics tool. In Gtmetrix we can check the ttfb value of the site from different locations.
Conquer the hearts of users by performing 7 professional ttbf site improvement techniques!
Imagine with the help of one of these tools you realized that the ttfb value of the site needs to be improved. Do you know what you need to do to optimize it? If you do not know, continue to be with us to get acquainted with 7 practical and professional solutions to improve the site ttfb:
1. Make sure you have a good and fast CDN
A CDN, or Content Delivery Network, is a content distribution network. CDN has a significant effect on reducing the amount of TTFB. If you have a website that has visitors from all over Iran or the world, we recommend using the services of a premium CDN provider. Because the geographical location is very important in determining the value of ttfb.
2. Use the right cache
It may be unnecessary to mention this, but cache has a great effect on improving the site ttfb. Experience has shown that there is a significant difference between the value of ttfb pages with and without cache. Using cache can improve TTFB by almost 95%.
3. Prioritize the use of high-speed hosting services
Our hosting is an important part of Time To First Byte. This is exactly why using high-speed hosts is essential to having optimal ttfb. High-speed hosts are optimized to keep our site TTFB as low as possible.
4. Optimize database queries
Database query optimization helps to avoid the need to read the entire database to respond to incoming queries when calling. Avoid interdependent queries as much as possible. These dependencies increase the processing time of queries and slow down the whole process.
5. Make sure the server responds quickly
To speed up server responsiveness, we can embed CSS and JS files into the HTML file. This method eliminates the need to call CSS and JS files separately and reduces the ttfb value of the site.
6. Reduce the number of unnecessary HTTP requests
If the number of unnecessary HTTP requests is large, reduce the number of unnecessary requests by taking steps such as merging CSS files together, removing unnecessary images from the site, and reducing the size of files related to the remaining images.
7. Do not forget to check logs continuously
As the traffic sent to the server increases, the server may not be able to manage the high volume of traffic, resulting in an increase in ttfb. However, the advantage of constantly checking logs is that if the load on the webserver or database increases, we will notice it quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dynamic content effective in ttfb?
Yes. One of the reasons for increasing the ttfb value is the use of dynamic content. Because dynamic sites need different resources to load, reading them from the server increases the value of ttfb.
Will merging JS and CSS files reduce TTFB?
Yes. Because merging these files will send fewer requests to the server and increase the speed of uploading or calling files.
Does using DNS Provider reduce TTFB?
Yes. Using a valid DNS Provider that is not free can have a positive effect on reducing the amount of TTFB.
Concluding remarks
Finally, we reiterate that although ttfb is not a factor in Google ranking, it does affect the speed of the site and indirectly affects the SEO and user experience of our visitors. Therefore, we recommend that if you have a relatively high ttfb, be sure to invest in optimizing it. Also, as a final point in this SEO tutorial, keep in mind that low ttfb does not lead to a fast site, but high ttfb is a feature of slow sites.
If you have any questions or experiences about ttfb, we’d love to hear from you in the comments section. Rest assured that we will answer your questions as soon as possible.
