Optimizing your PrestaShop store is crucial to improving page load speed, as well as your Google search engine optimization (SEO). A fast store promotes a better user experience and a higher ranking in search results. Here are the key steps to optimizing your PrestaShop store.

Configure PrestaShop performance settings correctly

Configuring PrestaShop performance settings is essential for improving page load speed and store efficiency. The Smarty template engine, used to generate the pages, needs to be fine-tuned. To avoid unnecessary slowdowns, it is advisable to activate template compilation only in the event of modifications. Activating Smarty's cache is also crucial to optimize module and page response times, especially for features such as best sellers.

The Concatenation, Compression and Caching (CCC) option merges and compresses CSS and JavaScript files, reducing page weight and improving loading times. This setting should be activated once the store has stabilized, to achieve a better PageSpeed score and a smoother user experience.

At the same time, be sure to use a powerful server and, if necessary, a CDN to speed up the loading of static files, especially if you have an international audience. Optimizing Apache for browser cache management and enabling HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 protocols are also effective strategies for maximizing the performance of your PrestaShop store.

To find out more, read our full article: The correct settings to improve Prestashop Performances

Understanding and improving your PrestaShop store's PageSpeed score

The PageSpeed score, calculated by tools such as Google PageSpeed Insights or GTMetrix, evaluates the design quality of your store's pages, rather than their actual loading time. The score on mobile is generally lower than on desktop, as it takes into account the slower connection speed and lower performance of mobile devices. To find out more, read our article on how to improve Pagespeed on Prestashop.

Achieving a score of 100/100 on PrestaShop is almost impossible due to the use of unnecessary CSS and JavaScript on certain pages, added by modules or themes. However, certain optimizations can be implemented, such as reducing server response time, deferring the loading of off-screen images, using the WEBP image format, and enabling text compression with specific rules on the server.

Although Google doesn't claim to use this score directly for SEO, a well-optimized page increases "Dwell Time" (time spent on page), which indirectly influences ranking in search results.

If you're looking for a Prestashop module for this purpose, take a look at our all-in-one Speed Pack module for améliorer le score Pagespeed de Prestashop .

To find out more, read our full article : Understand and improve the Pagespeed score of your Prestashop store

Identifying slowness through profiling

Profiling consists of measuring various performance indicators during page generation in your PrestaShop store, both on the front and back office. It enables you to detect slowness linked to SQL queries, memory consumption or loading times.

SQL profiling is often the most revealing, as the majority of slowness stems from poorly optimized SQL queries. PrestaShop offers a built-in profiling mode that displays detailed data, but a module like SQL Profiler offers clearer, more comprehensive reports to identify problematic queries.

By activating profiling, you can analyze load time, number of queries executed, and memory used. If the response time is too long, or if an SQL query exceeds 100 ms, this may indicate a problem to be resolved. This process is crucial for optimizing product pages, categories and product management in the back office.

To find out more, read our full article : Prestashop is slow, 4 points to check and how to fix them

Installing a PrestaShop WEBP compression module

Images play an important role in the overall weight of product pages. Installing a module de compression WEBP module enables you to convert your images into a lightweight format while maintaining good quality. This considerably reduces page loading times and helps improve your store's Google ranking.

Better management of product images and other images via WEBP compression is one of the best practices for optimizing PrestaShop and improving your SEO, especially on mobiles which often have a slower connection.

Install an HTML cache module

The HTML cache stores pre-generated versions of store pages, enabling them to load faster on subsequent visits. A good HTML cache module reduces the loading time of your store's home page, product pages, category pages and catalog pages in general, and improves the user experience - an essential factor for SEO.

By installing a module de cache performant , you'll optimize page loading speed, which is an asset for your SEO.

Make sure your server is powerful enough

Even with internal optimizations, a server that is too slow can penalize the loading of your PrestaShop pages. Choosing a powerful server, capable of efficiently handling your traffic and product data, is essential to maintaining a fast store. A high-performance server ensures optimal speed, which is essential for Google search engine optimization.

By following these steps, you'll optimize the page load speed of your PrestaShop store, improving both SEO and SEO. Use compression tools, cache, and choose a powerful server to ensure fast product pages and good search engine rankings.