Google announced earlier this year that from June 2018, the search engine will now be using page load speed as a ranking factor for mobile searches, but what exactly does this mean for your business?

Is it only mobile searches that will be affected?

Google did announce back in April 2010 that slow page speed affected desktop rankings, but only now has Google confirmed that this would also be a ranking factor for mobile searches. Until now, a slow mobile site only affected user experience. This still massively affected your website, as users will quickly become frustrated with a slow site and move on, increasing your bounce rate, but this is the first time having a slow site will directly affect your rankings on Google.

How will my website be affected?

In the blog post, Google explained the updates “will only affect pages that deliver the slowest experience to users” they also added it “will only affect a small percentage of queries.” However, they do not confirm how many sites exactly will be affected by this change. They are also clear that fast sites will not be rewarded, only that particularly slow sites will be penalised. Google wants the users of their search engine to have the best possible experience, so by presenting them with fast sites on the first page of Google, they will retain their users.

How else can I improve the technical aspects of my website?

Google rewards any aspect of a website that improves user experience and therefore it was only a matter of time load time before became a factor in mobile searches. This is just one of many factors that helps your website become SEO friendly. Click here to read our blog outlining a number of other factors that will affect your rankings.