{"id":7059,"date":"2018-03-05T22:45:23","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T04:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilfusion.org\/dev\/staging\/?p=7059"},"modified":"2023-06-29T03:34:14","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T08:34:14","slug":"how-googles-speed-update-affects-your-seo-ranking-on-mobile-searches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ilfusion.org\/dev\/staging\/how-googles-speed-update-affects-your-seo-ranking-on-mobile-searches","title":{"rendered":"How Google\u2019s Speed Update Affects Your SEO Ranking on Mobile Searches"},"content":{"rendered":"

Earlier this year, Google announced<\/a> that page speed is now a key ranking factor for mobile searches. The \u201cSpeed Update,\u201d as Google calls it, is set to be rolled out starting July 2018.<\/p>\n

Although page load speed has been used as a ranking signal for quite some time, the previous algorithm focused more on desktop searches. As mobile internet usage continues to surge further in the coming years, mobile search is now more relevant than ever, and page speed is among the main factors for consideration in improving usability and mobile user experience.<\/p>\n

\u00a0What you need to know about Google\u2019s Speed Update<\/h6>\n

Google is pretty succinct in their announcement: The new algorithm change will only affect mobile pages that deliver the slowest load speeds. Google further iterated that the update will affect only a small percentage of mobile queries. And while some slow mobile pages will be affected, those whose content is relevant and of high quality will still thrive.<\/p>\n

As of this writing, it is not clear yet whether slow-loading mobile pages will be penalized by Google. This means that if your website has already been optimized for mobile and you\u2019ve passed Google\u2019s mobile speed test, you probably don\u2019t need to worry\u2014for now.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s still worth taking a shot on implementing measures to further improve your site\u2019s page load speed and prepare for the Speed Update as early as now.<\/p>\n

What your business can do to improve mobile page load speed<\/h6>\n
1. Consider Accelerated Mobile Pages<\/h5>\n

Google\u2019s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) allows you to create web pages that load faster on mobile browsers. Although Google didn\u2019t state that AMPs garner better ranking in their search results, or if the Speed Update will have anything to do with the AMP\u2019s platform, creating AMP versions of your website could help in improving your mobile user experience.<\/p>\n

To get started, check out AMP Project\u2019s step-by-step guide on how to create AMP pages<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Optimize images for mobile<\/h5>\n

Unoptimized images, or those with large file sizes, often account for the heaviest elements in a website. A quick fix in improving your mobile site\u2019s performance is to optimize your images so that fewer bytes of data are required to load the image.<\/p>\n

You can use free online tools like TinyPNG and Optimizilla to compress file sizes without having to compromise image quality. You can also opt to use Image Quick\u2019s convert binary to optimize your GIF and PNG images using Command Line codes.<\/p>\n

3. Write strong, relevant content<\/h5>\n

Search query intent is still a very strong ranking signal, which is why Google specifically mentioned in their announcement that even slow-loading pages with high quality content can still rank well.<\/p>\n

Continue prioritizing content marketing as one of the elements of your mobile marketing strategy, as content will always be king. It also helps to do keyword research using free tools like Google Trends and Google Keyword Planner to know which types of search queries your target market is using. Additionally, as mobile users are all for simplicity and speed, make it a point to keep a conversational tone in your web content.<\/p>\n

4. Check your site\u2019s usability<\/h5>\n

There are multiple ways to measure and evaluate your site\u2019s page load speed and overall performance. You can leverage the following tools that Google is offering for free to get more detailed insights on your site\u2019s usability:<\/p>\n