For the last number of years, page speed has been a clear and solid ranking factor in Google's algorithm for desktop searches. Now, Google is looking at introducing this in mobile search results! Google has recently announced what they are calling the “Speed Update”. In this article, we cover the key things you need to know about the update...
1) A Small Percentage Of Queries Will Be Impacted
In the announcement, Google stated that only a small percentage of queries will be impacted by this update as it will only target pages that “deliver the slowest experience to users”. However, if your page falls into this category then your mobile rankings will definitely be in trouble and will more than likely drop as a result. So be sure to prepare and take necessary action before this update is rolled out in July! There isn't a specific date on when it will roll out so just make sure your mobile page speed is up to scratch beforehand.
2) How To Check Your Mobile Page Speed
To test your website's mobile page speed you can use an array of tools. Google's own Page Speed Insights tool will give you information on what to optimise. Also, Dareboost has a really good tool here that you can use to check your speed score on a mobile device and view recommendations to improve performance. Finally, Google's LightHouse tool in their developer's section is another brilliant option for checking this and getting suggestions for improvements. You can access this tool here.
3) What Sort Of Things Can Slow Down Your Site?
There are numerous elements that could slow down both the mobile and desktop versions of your website. A few of the different things you could encounter that could be slowing down your site are:
- Images being too large
- Large files/videos
- CSS not being minified
There are lots of other elements, some you might be able to look at yourself like the images for example and others will need a developer to look at them.
If you run the report or speak to your website hosting company about this then they should be able to make the changes for you.
A Few Extra Tips For Optimising Your Mobile Website For Users And Search Engines...
Mobile Design
The design of your mobile website is crucial. Most mobile sites now will be just a responsive version of your main site and not a separate site. However, there are a few extra things to consider with your mobile design that you wouldn't necessarily think about for desktop users. These are:
- Flash: If you have flash on your site, get rid of it! It's far better to use Java or HTML as a lot of users can't view flash these days.
- Finger Friendly: Ensure your design is finger friendly. Remember, mobile visitors, are going to be viewing your site on a small screen, so make things like small buttons that they are going to want to click on bigger!
On-Site SEO
If your website is responsive then your on-site Meta information won't change on a mobile device if you have already set it up in the back end of your website. However, if you've not optimised your Meta tags then make sure you do! Some key elements to look at are:
- Your title tags
- Meta descriptions
- Alt text
- Having a sitemap installed
For more tips on optimising your website read our articles below:
- How To Write A Great Meta Description To Improve Organic Click Throughs
- 4 Important Things To Know About Technical SEO For Websites
- SEO For Mobile Sites 10 Reasons You Arent Being Found
Summary
Make sure you double check the speed on your mobile site sooner rather than later and get any performance improvements implemented before July! Also, for further help in boosting your mobile rankings and usability, be sure to implement the extra tips. If you have any queries about your mobile website or marketing it, please get in touch on 01332 343281.
