In order to remain successful in today’s ever-changing SEO environment, it’s important to understand that Google’s algorithm is constantly shifting in order to deliver faster, more relevant results to users. Recent developments indicate that Google is placing a much greater emphasis on page load speeds, so adding some website speed and performance monitoring to your regular SEO workload now will give you a jump on the competition.
Accurate data is crucial
Like any other SEO component, the key to accurate performance monitoring is collecting good data. There are many tools that can help you do this and you can significantly improve the sophistication of your analysis by employing multiple approaches. Using more than one tool to gather performance metrics allows you to compare measurements for a clearer, more precise look at how your pages are performing.
Any performance data strategy should begin with Google PageSpeed Insights: how Google rates your page speed and performance is obviously an extremely critical aspect of this kind of analysis, no matter what other tools you decide to use.
Other powerful, affordable performance monitoring tools include:
These tools will give you plenty of key baseline metrics and recommendations for improving your site’s performance.
Improve with best practices
Once you have run tests and begun collecting data on your site’s speed and performance, you may be ready to start implementing changes to improve page load times and user experience.
Best practices for website optimisation include:
- Image optimisation
- Code optimisation
- Plugin optimisation
- Browser caching
- Content Delivery Networks
You can find specific tips for putting these practices into place here. The sooner you make improvements to your site’s performance and speed, the sooner you can reap the benefits of better page rankings and conversions.
Conclusion
Working ahead of the Google algorithm by optimising your website’s performance and load times improves the flexibility and fluidity of your site. Thus, an algorithm update becomes an opportunity for further growth rather than a troublesome barrier that must be overcome. Staying ahead of the curve allows for a better user experience, which can have a positive impact on your bottom line.
