Website speed directly influences user experience and search engine rankings. Search engines, like Google, consider page loading times when determining rankings. Slow-loading websites can lead to higher bounce rates and lower user satisfaction. To optimize website speed, consider compressing images, leveraging browser caching, minimizing HTTP requests, and using content delivery networks (CDNs). These measures not only improve user experience but also signal to search engines that your site is well-optimized, positively impacting SEO performance.