Speed is everything when it comes to your online presence. Recently, Google has, once again, decided to dictate the course of business with a new speed update that is related to their beloved “user experience” concept. Basically, Google has declared that your rankings will suffer if someone clicks onto your site and then returns almost immediately to the search results page. Google has decided that you have not provided the visitor with the proper user experience and you will be penalized for it in the future.
- Google has seriously begun to measure mobile speed and it will have a serious effect on your SEO and your rankings if you are not paying attention to it. Bounce rate has always been something you should be concerned with but with Google’s new eye on speed, it must become a priority for you. According to Google stats, Every second your page spends loading is hurting you both with your search standing and with your potential bounce rate.
- Google has been trying to assure everyone that only the slowest of pages will feel the wrath of the new speed dictates. Even if you are loading between one and three seconds, Goggle’s research states that you may increase your bounce rate by 23%. If your speed is good, it will unlikely boost your rankings but it will prevent your from dropping down on a SERP. What, however, is to be considered too slow? Generally, the accepted rule of thumb tends to be anything loading in more than three seconds.
- Follow your data trail and use your analytical tools to determine just how your pages are performing on mobile devices. You may have to do some additional coding or other on page strategies to get those pages to load faster. With mobile users, everything is speed because they have been accustomed to it. Your visitors are there for a reason. Your products and/or services have drawn them. Your engaging content has led them to you. Don’t blow the potential conversion because your site takes forever to load for them.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
