How to improve website performance in Drupal for SEO?

@vinnie 

Improving website performance in Drupal for SEO involves a combination of optimizing Drupal's settings, improving server performance, and following general web best practices. Here are some approaches you can consider:

1. Caching: Page Cache: Use Drupal’s built-in caching for anonymous users to store static versions of pages. Views Caching: Enable caching for Views to reduce the load on the database. External Cache Systems: Implement systems like Varnish or Cloudflare to serve cached content quickly. Opcode Cache: Use PHP OPcache to cache compiled PHP scripts.
2. Optimize Images: Use modules like Image Optimize to automate image compression and resizing. Serve images in next-gen formats like WebP.
3. Minify and Aggregate CSS/JS: Enable CSS/JS aggregation in Drupal to reduce the number of HTTP requests. Consider using modules like Advanced CSS/JS Aggregation for further optimization.
4. Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN): Distribute static assets via a CDN to reduce latency and load times for users globally.
5. Database Optimization: Regularly clean up and optimize your database tables. Use modules like Views Cache or Entity Cache to reduce database load.
6. Lazy Load Images: Implement lazy loading for images to improve the initial loading time of pages.
7. Optimize Hosting Environment: Ensure your server environment is optimized for Drupal. Consider using a dedicated server, or high-performance hosting specifically tailored for Drupal.
8. Use Fast Themes: Choose themes known for their performance efficiency. Avoid heavy, bloated themes with unnecessary scripts and styles.
9. Improve the TTFB (Time to First Byte): Optimize server settings and configurations to reduce the delay in response from the server.
10. Regular Updates: Keep Drupal core, themes, and modules updated to take advantage of the latest performance improvements.
11. Remove Unnecessary Modules: Audit and disable or uninstall any modules that are not essential to reduce system overhead.
12. Enable GZIP Compression: Configure your server to serve compressed files, reducing the size of transferred data.
13. Monitor Performance: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom to regularly test and monitor your site’s performance. Use these insights to guide your optimization efforts.
14. SEO Modules: Consider installing modules such as the SEO Checklist, Simple XML Sitemap, and Metatag for better SEO management which indirectly contributes to performance optimization by focusing user visits and improving lower bounce rates.

Implementing these strategies should significantly improve the performance of your Drupal site, positively affecting your SEO by offering a faster and better user experience.