P0Issue #75

Round Trip Time (RTT)

❓ What does it mean?

❓ What is RTT? Round Trip Time (RTT) measures how long it takes for a browser to send a request to the server and receive the first byte of a response back. It’s basically the network latency between the client and server. High RTT = slower loading, which directly affects Time to First Byte (TTFB), LCP, and overall SEO performance.

✅ How to Fix It

❌ Example of Poor RTT A user in India visits a website hosted only in the US. Browser request travels thousands of kilometers → RTT = 300ms. Since each CSS/JS/image may require multiple RTTs, the total page load time increases → page takes 6s to load. Result: Poor Core Web Vitals, higher bounce rate, and negative SEO impact.

❌ Bad Example

✅ Example of Good RTT The same site uses a Content Delivery Network (CDN) with an edge server in Mumbai. Request only travels locally → RTT = 40ms. Page now loads in 2.5s. Result: Faster loading, better UX, and improved SEO rankings.

✅ Good Example

🛠 How to Improve RTT Use a CDN – Serve static assets from servers closer to the user. Enable HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 (QUIC) – Reduces the number of RTTs required for multiple requests. Keep Connections Alive (Keep-Alive header) – Avoids new handshakes for each request. Optimize DNS Lookup Time – Use faster DNS providers and reduce redirects. Reduce Resource Requests – Minify CSS/JS, combine files, and preload critical resources.

⚡ Result

📈 SEO & UX Impact Lower RTT = faster TTFB → directly improves Core Web Vitals. Better crawl efficiency: Googlebot fetches pages faster with lower latency. Improved user engagement and conversions due to faster page load times.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What is Round Trip Time (RTT)?

Round Trip Time (RTT) measures the time it takes for a browser to send a request to the server and receive the first byte of a response back, indicating network latency.

Why is RTT important for SEO?

RTT is important for SEO because high RTT can lead to slower loading times, negatively affecting Core Web Vitals, user experience, crawl efficiency, and search rankings.

How can I improve RTT on my website?

You can improve RTT by using a Content Delivery Network (CDN), enabling HTTP/2 or HTTP/3, keeping connections alive, optimizing DNS lookup time, and reducing resource requests.

What are the benefits of optimizing RTT?

Optimizing RTT leads to faster TTFB, improved Core Web Vitals scores, better crawl efficiency, enhanced user engagement, and higher conversion rates, all contributing to better SEO performance.