Defined by Google as the “Speed Update”, this new algorithm has been designed to track website pages that deliver the slowest experience to users. As a result, this may have an influence on where they rank organically in search engines. Taking effect as of July 2018, the update applies the same standard to all pages regardless of the technology used to build the page. It is important to bear in mind that while this algorithm will play a part in search ranking, Google have reiterated that “the intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a slow page may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content”.
The key difference with this update is that Google will now be focusing on how fast mobile pages are performing as opposed to desktop, due to the growing change in online behaviour over the past few years.
Key Takeaways for Construction Marketers:
- The Speed Update will impact any website delivering the “slowest experience” to online users
- Content relevance still trumps speed. In Google’s words, “The intent of the search query is still a very strong signal, so a slow page may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content”
- The technology used to build the page will play no influence
- The speed update will focus on mobile performance rather than desktop usage
Use this update as an opportunity to assess the overall performance of your construction website rather than just ‘speed’, as the algorithm will be looking at website optimisation as a whole. For example, poorly optimised images, auto-playing videos and audio and full-page pop-ups are all assets that will negatively impact user experience on mobile.
There are no tools out there to directly indicate whether a page is affected by this new ranking factor; however there are a few things you can do in preparation for the new algorithm taking place – you can read more on this in our latest blog post.
For any further questions on how we can help to re-optimise your construction website for lead generation, drop us an email at talk@pauleycreative.co.uk, or call us on 01908 671707.
