Did you know that Page Speed is a ranking factor for SEO? It’s a fundamental factor in Google’s algorithm, and it also affects mobile performance and conversion rate. Read on to learn more about this crucial factor in SEO. If you’d like to improve your page speed, here are a few tips to follow. After all, you’re not the first to have read about it.
Table of Contents
Page speed is a ranking factor for SEO
Google is now emphasizing page speed as a ranking factor for SEO. Google’s ranking algorithm factors in page speed, and a slow site can lead to a higher bounce rate and reduced dwell time. Slow pages will also reduce the amount of organic traffic a website receives. Google has previously hinted at this as a ranking factor, but only confirmed it publicly in 2010.
While many factors play a role in search engine rankings, page speed has a direct impact on user experience. If a page takes more than three seconds to load, it can expect a 90% bounce rate. Every second counts, and the likelihood of leaving the page increases exponentially. According to Google’s latest page speed report, a staggering number of websites fall below optimal page loading times. Although web pages in the tech industry have the highest average speeds, page speed should be no more than three seconds.
Google has long advocated fast websites, but it hasn’t really done much to measure how fast pages load. By using GTmetrix, you can find out how fast your website loads. Additionally, Google has been experimenting with mobile-first indexing, which means that the mobile version of a site will be indexed before its desktop counterpart. By 2021, all websites will be subject to mobile-first indexing.
Google calculates the speed of a website’s pages based on data from the Chrome User Experience Report. Metrics such as DOMContentLoaded, First Contentful Paint, and page size all contribute to the speed of a web page. Google is focused on providing a great user experience, and speed plays a major role in achieving that. A page that loads quickly has the potential to boost SEO and conversion rates.
If a site takes more than four seconds to load, the visitor will abandon the page, which will reduce organic traffic. As a result, page speed has become a critical metric for success. The quicker a website loads, the higher its organic ranking. In addition, visitors will be more likely to stay on a website if it loads quickly. If you don’t have a website optimized for speed, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity for SEO success.
It’s a fundamental factor in Google’s algorithm
Google has always advocated for websites to be fast, and its new mobile-first index will take this into account. The problem is that mobile users often have slower connection speeds and this can cause your page to load slowly. But until July 2018, Google only hinted that page speed was a factor in their algorithm. In July, Google made page speed a ranking factor for mobile search results. Page speed still affects search rankings for desktop, but the Google speed update changed that signal to “page experience”.
While it is not 100% certain that page speed affects search rankings, it does have an effect on the user’s experience and conversion rates. Google uses several metrics to measure page speed. The ‘first meaningful paint’ is one of the most common and is often referred to as the primary metric for user-perceived loading time. It refers to the time it takes for the primary content to be visible on a web page – this could be a banner or a visible text. It could also refer to product images in an e-commerce website.
Page speed is an essential element in SEO. In addition to directly affecting ranking, page speed can negatively affect dwell time and bounce rates. Google is also looking at dwell time, or the length of time a user spends on a page. The longer it takes a page to load, the higher the bounce rate and lower the conversion rate. And a page that takes too long to load will reduce user satisfaction, causing it to be lower in the rankings.
Although this may sound complicated, Google has been using page speed as a ranking factor since 2010. It has been a contentious topic within the SEO community, but it is not difficult to understand why the search engine will prioritize faster pages over slow ones. Ultimately, Google wants to provide users with the best experience. So, the answer to the question of whether or not page speed is an important ranking factor depends on the content of the website.
It affects mobile performance
As we all know, page speed is a big factor in mobile performance. Slow-loading mobile sites are less likely to increase customer satisfaction or drive sales. Fortunately, Google recently announced two new speed initiatives. These initiatives suggest that website owners focus on user-centric performance metrics, including PageSpeed Insights and real-world field data, to increase mobile site speed. Here are some best practices for maximizing mobile site speed:
Google’s Page Experience ranking system now includes page speed as one of the key factors in the customer experience. According to its most recent report, e-commerce sites should aim for a TTFB of two seconds or less. The TTFB measures the time it takes for the page to load 100%. Websites that take more than two seconds to load will lose up to 47% of visitors. However, it’s important to note that Google’s ranking algorithm takes page speed into account more than just mobile performance.
AMP pages were introduced in 2015. AMP pages cache on Google and can be accessed almost immediately. AMP pages changed user expectations for web speed. In 2017, Google published a report comparing page speed on mobile devices, and in 2018 it launched Chrome’s badge of shame for sites that are too slow. In addition, slow page speed hurts real visitors. If your page isn’t fast enough, you’ll lose your ranking in mobile searches and get penalized.
As a website owner, it’s critical to improve the speed of your website. While it’s true that page speed affects SEO, it also directly affects your business’s sales. Slow loading pages can cause consumers to abandon your site, reducing your revenue. In fact, research from Google Analytics shows that a slow-loading page will result in up to 14% of online visitors abandoning your website altogether.
The best way to test your site’s page speed is by using Google’s PageSpeed Insights tool. It tests your website on different platforms and divides it into two categories: desktop and mobile. The former is more accurate, but not as exhaustive as the latter. While Google collects data from real users, the latter is more relevant to the real world. If you have a mobile audience, it’s crucial to improve your website’s performance on all of them.
It affects conversion rate
Many people may not know that page speed can influence the conversion rate of your website. In fact, slow loading pages can cause visitors to abandon your site, resulting in a lost opportunity for you to capture their business. Studies show that people who experience poor page load time are 40 percent more likely to share their experience with others. And according to HubSpot, 80% of visitors who encounter poor page load time will not make a purchase.
A new study by HubSpot shows that a three-second increase in page speed increases the likelihood of the user bouncing from the site by 32%. Although it doesn’t seem like much, the results from this study are compelling. For example, an increase in page speed translates into a higher conversion rate and overall sales. And while there are a lot of back-end changes that don’t seem to have an impact on sales, the correlation between page speed and conversion rate is evident.
The number of pages on the Internet that load in under two seconds has the highest ecommerce conversion rate. Moreover, a page that loads in two seconds or less has a 1.9% conversion rate. In fact, Walmart discovered that for every one-second improvement in page load time, it increased its conversion rate by 2%. A page’s load time also impacts mobile conversion rate – a delay of two seconds increases the bounce rate by 103%.
Another study found that a 7% drop in conversion rates costs an average of $70,000 per day. This means that a two-second delay in a website’s load time will cost you $70,000 a year. And a three-second delay in page load time will cost you up to three times as much as the average sale. Moreover, page speed can impact the conversion rate positively if it increases the number of visitors.
A single percent increase in conversion rate can have a significant impact on revenue. In a case study, an e-commerce website with ten million dollars in revenue will increase its conversion rate by just 2%. Walmart’s results demonstrate that a two-second increase in page speed can generate $200,000 of additional revenue. With a one-second increase in page speed, the average consumer will convert to a purchase within two seconds.
Follow Our RSS Feed
CONNECT WITH US!!