Page speed can be defined as the speed at which an individual page loads on a website. It has a direct impact on both user experience (UX) and website conversion rate, and is one of the most important factors for website success. Page speed is a direct ranking factor for SEO and also affects rankings indirectly. Ask any SEO company in Santa Rosa and you’ll hear the same thing, page speed is an integral part of a strategic SEO campaign.
First Impression is Everything
The Internet is becoming increasingly congested with every passing year. There are more than 400 million active websites on the web. Website owners have seconds to make a good first impression on website visitors.
Page Speed and UX
One of the first things your website visitors notice is how fast the page takes to load. Google’s recommended page load time is less than three seconds. No matter how stellar your content or how user-friendly your website is, if the content on your page takes more than three seconds to load, your website is likely losing traffic.
Users leaving your website in less than three seconds is an indication that it provides a bad user experience. If you do not address the problem quickly, your rankings can suffer.
Google has, time and again, stressed on the importance of good page speed. In 2018, the search engine giant launched a ranking algorithm, Speed Update. It made site speed a ranking factor for mobile searches.
Page Speed Affects Crawling
Loading time also affects crawling. Google and other search engines have an easier time crawling websites when pages load fast. If your website pages take ages to load, Google may miss some of your important content.
How Page Speed Affects Conversion Rate and Bounce Rate
Page speed affects conversion rates and bounce rates. Lightning-fast websites typically have higher conversion rates and lower bounce rates; and most digital marketers will tell you that Google loves websites with low bounce rates and high conversion rates.
A fast site can help build trust and credibility. Speeding up your website is one of the most effective ways of showing your target audience that you care.
What is PageSpeed Insights?
PageSpeed Insights is a page speed measurement tool by Google. It is one of the most used performance tools by SEO companies in Santa Rosa and elsewhere.
PageSpeed Insights can measure the performance of a page on both desktops and mobile devices. Once the tool analyzes a page, it generates recommendations to improve it.
WSI Smart Marketing is one of the most trusted SEO companies in Santa Rosa. No matter how unique your requirements, we will come up with a custom solution built to your needs. To talk to one of our SEO experts, call us at (707) 843-3714.
