Speed is the New Authority: How I Hit 97/100 PageSpeed for the AI-Search Era Speed is the New Authority: How I Hit 97/100 PageSpeed for the AI-Search Era The "SEO is dead" crowd is half-right. The old way of SEO—slow, bloated pages stuffed with keywords—is indeed dying. In its place, a new beast has emerged: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Last week, I decided to put my own infrastructure to the ultimate test. I didn't just want a "fast" site; I wanted a site that could be parsed by an LLM (Large Language Model) in a heartbeat. I took a massive, 2,750-word guide on GEO—the kind of page that usually chokes under its own weight—and optimized it until Google’s PageSpeed Insights handed me a 97/100 Mobile Performance score. Why go to such extremes? Because in 2026, if your Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) isn't under 1 second, you don't just lose users—you lose the AI. Generative engines like Gemini and SearchGPT are speed-hungry. They prioritize "Instant Answers" and favor sources that provide a seamless technical connection. If your site is slow, you are invisible to the AI crawlers that now control the majority of search traffic. In this log, I’m breaking down the six technical pillars I used to clear the path for AI. From AVIF conversion to the "Death of Bloat" in script pruning, here is how I built a high-performance foundation for the next era of search. Pillar #1: Advanced Image Delivery and Modern Media Compression Pillar #1: Advanced Image Delivery and Modern Media Compression One of the biggest killers of Technical SEO for GEO is unoptimized media. In my 2,750-word guide, images are essential for context, but they also add weight. The Strategy: The Strategy: AVIF over WebP: While WebP was the gold standard in 2024, by 2026, AVIF has taken over. It offers 30% better compression than WebP without losing quality.
Dynamic Aspect Ratio Padding: To ensure a CLS of 0, I pre-define the space for every image in the CSS. This prevents the "jumpy" feeling when a page loads.
The GEO Benefit: AI engines often "scrape" images to display in the Generative UI sidebar. If your images are well-lit and properly tagged with Schema, you are five times more likely to be featured as the visual. AVIF over WebP: While WebP was the gold standard in 2024, by 2026, AVIF has taken over. It offers 30% better compression than WebP without losing quality. Dynamic Aspect Ratio Padding: To ensure a CLS of 0, I pre-define the space for every image in the CSS. This prevents the "jumpy" feeling when a page loads. The GEO Benefit: AI engines often "scrape" images to display in the Generative UI sidebar. If your images are well-lit and properly tagged with Schema, you are five times more likely to be featured as the visual. Pillar #2: Script Pruning and the "Death of Bloat" Pillar #2: Script Pruning and the "Death of Bloat" Most WordPress sites are weighed down by "Ghost Scripts"—plugins you deleted months ago that still leave traces of JavaScript behind. In our Technical SEO for GEO framework, we use a "Load on Interaction" model. Example: Your "Contact Form" script shouldn't load the moment the page opens. It should load only when the user scrolls to the bottom or clicks "Contact."
The Result: My site achieved a 0ms Total Blocking Time. This means the browser's main thread is always free to process the actual content, which is what the AI needs to read. Example: Your "Contact Form" script shouldn't load the moment the page opens. It should load only when the user scrolls to the bottom or clicks "Contact." The Result: My site achieved a 0ms Total Blocking Time. This means the browser's main thread is always free to process the actual content, which is what the AI needs to read. Pillar #3: Server-Side Excellence and Edge Computing Pillar #3: Server-Side Excellence and Edge Computing If your server is in New York and your visitor is in London, physics dictates a delay. Implementation: I moved TheAbbasRizvi.com to a "Global Edge Network."
Why it matters for GEO: AI bots crawl from multiple global locations simultaneously. If your Time to First Byte (TTFB) is inconsistent, the AI may flag your site as "unstable." High-tier Technical SEO for GEO requires a server response time under 200ms globally. Implementation: I moved TheAbbasRizvi.com to a "Global Edge Network." TheAbbasRizvi.com Why it matters for GEO: AI bots crawl from multiple global locations simultaneously. If your Time to First Byte (TTFB) is inconsistent, the AI may flag your site as "unstable." High-tier Technical SEO for GEO requires a server response time under 200ms globally. **Pillar #4: The Language of AI – Advanced Schema Markup for Generative Answers \  Achieving a 97/100 PageSpeed score is monumental, but its power for Technical SEO for GEO is amplified tenfold when paired with precise Schema Markup. Schema is the structured data that tells AI exactly "what" your content means, not just "what" it says. In 2026, Schema is no longer optional; it's the dictionary for AI. Beyond Basic Schema: The GEO Advantage Beyond Basic Schema: The GEO Advantage For TheAbbasRizvi.com, I went beyond the generic Article or BlogPosting Schema. We deployed highly specific markup, including: TheAbbasRizvi.com HowTo Schema: For actionable guides, AI can pull steps directly into generative answers.
FAQPage Schema: For direct Q&A, allowing AI to immediately answer user queries without needing them to click through.
AboutPage and Person Schema: To establish clear E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for Abbas Rizvi as the author and expert. This tells AI: "This is a credible source."
ImageObject Schema: Every critical image now tells AI its purpose, subject, and context. This significantly increases the chance of your visuals being used in AI-generated responses. HowTo Schema: For actionable guides, AI can pull steps directly into generative answers. FAQPage Schema: For direct Q&A, allowing AI to immediately answer user queries without needing them to click through. AboutPage and Person Schema: To establish clear E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) for Abbas Rizvi as the author and expert. This tells AI: "This is a credible source." ImageObject Schema: Every critical image now tells AI its purpose, subject, and context. This significantly increases the chance of your visuals being used in AI-generated responses. The GEO Benefit: By clearly defining content components with Schema, you are pre-digesting your information for AI models. This drastically improves the likelihood of your content being chosen as the "source" for a generative answer, even if the user never directly visits your site in the traditional sense. It's about being present in the AI's response, not just in the SERP. present Pillar #5: The Psychology of Speed – User Experience (UX) and AI Signals  While we've focused heavily on the technical aspects of AI, we must never forget the human element. Ultimately, AI learns from human behavior. If users bounce immediately from your site because it's slow or visually unstable, that negative signal feeds back into the AI's ranking algorithms. This is why Technical SEO for GEO isn't just about bots; it's about delighting the user. Pillar #5: The Psychology of Speed – User Experience (UX) and AI Signals Converting Speed into Engagement Converting Speed into Engagement Reduced Bounce Rate: A site that loads in under 1 second ensures users don't hit the back button out of frustration. This tells AI: "This content is engaging."
Increased Time on Page: With faster loading, users spend more time consuming your valuable content, signaling to AI: "This is comprehensive and relevant."
Higher Conversion Rates: Whether it's signing up for a newsletter or requesting a consultation, a seamless user experience (driven by speed) directly impacts your business goals. Reduced Bounce Rate: A site that loads in under 1 second ensures users don't hit the back button out of frustration. This tells AI: "This content is engaging." Increased Time on Page: With faster loading, users spend more time consuming your valuable content, signaling to AI: "This is comprehensive and relevant." Higher Conversion Rates: Whether it's signing up for a newsletter or requesting a consultation, a seamless user experience (driven by speed) directly impacts your business goals. Visual Proof of Stability: Visual Proof of Stability: Here, we can see the impact of perfect CLS and a low LCP. The page loads smoothly, without any jarring shifts that disrupt the user's reading experience.  The subtle yet powerful impact of a perfectly stable and fast-loading page cannot be overstated in the AI era. These user signals indirectly tell AI which content is truly "high quality" and deserving of top generative rankings. Pillar #6: A 12-Month Technical Maintenance Roadmap for Sustainable GEO Dominance Pillar #6: A 12-Month Technical Maintenance Roadmap for Sustainable GEO Dominance Achieving a 97 PageSpeed score is not a one-time event; it's an ongoing commitment. The algorithms evolve, and so should your website. A robust Technical SEO for GEO strategy includes a proactive maintenance plan. Quarterly Audit Checklist: Q1: Code Dependency Audit: Review all third-party scripts. Are they still necessary? Can they be loaded conditionally?
Q2: Media Compression Review: Re-scan all new and existing images. Have new, more efficient formats (like JPEG XL) emerged?
Q3: Server Log Analysis: Monitor crawl budget and bot behavior. Are AI crawlers hitting critical pages efficiently?
Q4: Schema Validation: Use Google's Rich Results Test to ensure all Schema markup is still valid and being interpreted correctly.
Monthly: Check Core Web Vitals in Search Console. Any dips need immediate investigation. Q1: Code Dependency Audit: Review all third-party scripts. Are they still necessary? Can they be loaded conditionally? Q2: Media Compression Review: Re-scan all new and existing images. Have new, more efficient formats (like JPEG XL) emerged? Q3: Server Log Analysis: Monitor crawl budget and bot behavior. Are AI crawlers hitting critical pages efficiently? Q4: Schema Validation: Use Google's Rich Results Test to ensure all Schema markup is still valid and being interpreted correctly. Monthly: Check Core Web Vitals in Search Console. Any dips need immediate investigation. By integrating this proactive maintenance, you ensure that your Technical SEO for GEO remains ahead of the curve, providing a stable, fast, and AI-friendly platform for years to come. **"A version of this technical audit was originally documented on my personal blog at TheAbbasRizvi.com."

This story contains AI-generated text. The author has used AI either for research, to generate outlines, or write the text itself. 

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

Optimization Log: How I Pushed a 2,750-Word Guide to 97/100 PageSpeed for AI Search

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