Earlier this year Google announced that from the beginning of July 2018, they will be using web page loading speed as an official ranking factor for mobile searches. The speed update will take effect in early July 2018.
Nobody likes to wait minutes for a web page to load — they simply wouldn’t go back to the page they were on before and refresh. Statistics suggest that 53% of users will leave the web page if loading time is more than 3 seconds. With this in mind, Google’s announcement of site speed being a ranking factor for mobile searches, came as no real surprise.
Although it has been known that Google have been prioritising page speed for some time, this new ranking algorithm is a significant development in the industry. The Google page speed update will primarily focus on mobile search results and according to the search giant, it will only affect a small number of keywords or search subjects.
What About AMP?
Google’s announcement stated that it “applies the same standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to build the page”. This essentially means that AMP does not automatically get priority or any special advantage. It does however, by its very nature mean that it will pass all of the relevant speed standards with flying colors. It is important to note though that the passing of standards doesn’t necessarily provide for mean an automatic pass with use of AMP- because you do need to be sure that everything is set up properly.
If you need any help with any mobile optimization, particularly in light of recent developments then DenTek Digital are fully informed and on board to help. Drop us a note and let’s talk!
What do you think?