While many people look forward to summer as a time to relax and slow down, Google wants you to speed up … your web pages.
About 6 months ago, Google pre-emptively told webmasters that in July 2018 it would update its ranking factors to consider mobile page speed in the mobile search index. That change rolled out July 9, 2018, and, although it only reportedly impacts the most sluggish web pages, it’s definitely worth it to assess your own pages’ speeds and craft a plan for improvement (if you need one).
After all, if your users aren’t able to get your pages to load quickly (under 3 seconds / page), the poor user experience is likely to frustrate them, cause them to bounce, and reduce your conversion rates.
What can you do to see if mobile page speed is an issue for your webpages?
- Leverage Google’s Page Speed Insights Tool
- Explore Site Speed Reports in Google Analytics
- Request a Complimentary SEO Consultation
The Mobile Page Speed update is continued validation that Google prefers optimal User Experience on websites and will continue to evaluate the potential for Organic search presence with users’ needs in mind.