Definition
Latency
The delay between a browser request and a useful response.
Definition
Latency measures waiting time in a network or page-load flow, including server response delays and request round trips.
Meaning
Low latency means the page begins responding quickly; high latency makes visitors wait before anything useful happens.
Why It Matters
Latency affects perceived speed, conversion, crawl efficiency, and user patience. Slow pages weaken trust even when content is strong.
History And Context
Latency has been a core web performance concern since the early web, but mobile browsing and global audiences made it a business KPI rather than only an infrastructure metric.