Google has stated it is considering using the speed which a website loads in its search algorithms, with slower sites set to be pushed further down the results page in favour of quicker ones.
Google's Matt Cutts revealed the news in an interview with WebPro, admitting that 'a lot of people' within the company favoured adding a speed factor into the way in which a page is ranked.
"We're starting to think more and more about should speed be a factor in Google's rankings," said Cutts
A good experience
"Historically, we haven't used it in our search rankings, but a lot of people within Google think that the web should be fast – it should be a good experience," he added.
"So it's fair to say if you are a fast site maybe you should get a little bit of a bonus and if you're a slow site then, you know, users don't want that as much."
Already a factor?
The speed of a website and the way in which it is affected by Google rankings is already a hot topic on the web, with .net editor Dan Oliver explaining to TechRadar that many believed it was already a factor.
"It's great to hear that speed is going to play a part in Google's algorithm for 2010, but we think it may have been a factor for some time.
"In fact, Google's communication and public affairs department told .net magazine months ago that 'all other things being equal, it's fair to say that a speedy site will rank better'."
Your comments (1) Click to add a new comment
jfras
November 17th 2009
1. Good to see this finally happening. People like fast websites, this is just Google saying it is able to factor this factor into their search results. It's going to be painful for some/most website owners; a steep learning curve regarding web performance and latency but at the end of the day the user wins. This is a "don't say we didn't warn you" notice from Google and we have until January before we see any potential impact. I agree with Dan Oliver in that I believe that its already a ranking factor in organic search its - right now its just a question of degree and whether this will increase over time.
Best thing to do? Checkout a website accelerator like aptimize wax or if you are using a cms like Wordpress or Joomla look for optimization plugins/add-ons, alternatively you can optimize your website 'by hand' and having done this I can say this is extremely time consuming.
There's been a lot of complaints about this issue online but really, in my view, its a step forward - just one you need to be prepared for.
Alert a moderator
Tell us what you think
You need to Log in or register to post comments