In July of last year, Google released a mobile page speed update that affected a lot of websites and their rankings. This update is critical in the sense that Google is putting more emphasis on page speed as a ranking factor and the overall mobile user experience. Our team of digital SEO experts have compiled the top reasons why this update is critical in your ongoing SEO efforts for your business.
Page Speed is a Ranking Factor
Google has now separated page speed as a ranking factor outside on on-page technical SEO factors. As such, businesses and marketers both have to understand that a slow website will now impact your organic search rankings. So in essence, the slower the site, the lower you rank compared to your competitors.
So how do I know if my site is slow? If you conduct a test on the PageSpeed Insights website, you will receive a report detailing the speed of your website and the issues wrong with it. It will also give a score (out of 100) to give you a benchmark.
User Experience Is More Critical Than Ever
In the past few years, Google has made a strong emphasis on user experience and the impact that has on search rankings. Google's ultimate goal is to have all users experiencing the best websites possible. Part of the user experience is how fast your website loads and how quickly your customer can move through your website to conduct an action of some kind.
Anyone that's been on a slow website understands that if it takes forever to load, most likely you leave. This not only affects your bounce rates but you have lost a potential customer.
Mobile Usage Has Gone Up
According to Hitwise's report from 2018, nearly 60 percent of searches are now coming from mobile devices. That's an alarming increase from only a couple of years ago. This trend will continue as mobile devices continue to get bigger and smarter to handle surfing on the web. Due to this trend, it is even more critical for business owners to understand why having a good and fast website will help drive consumers to make a transaction on your website.
Conclusion
Now that you have a better understanding of why mobile page speed is critical in your SEO plan, it's time to implement. First, check out your score on the PageSpeed Insights website. Next, work with your web developer to improve the score and find ways to optimize your site. Lastly, consult with an SEO consultant or company and develop a plan to improve your SEO efforts.
If you need assistance or want to learn more about how SEO, please contact us.