We ran some leading websites through Googles page speed test as well as some of Google’s own properties to see how they scored. The results may surprise you.
Is Google Page Speed Important?
Performance Matters, But Not at Any Cost, One metric haunts website managers: the Google Page Speed Score. But let’s pause for a moment and ask ourselves, should this number keep us up at night? While performance matters, it shouldn’t come at the cost of everything else.
The Main Driver Behind Google’s Page Speed Score
The Google Page Speed Score is more about how fast Google’s bot crawls, rather than user experience.
Google Page Speed Score and Google Bot Crawling Rate
The main driver for this metric is to make its web crawler, Googlebot, more efficient. Faster pages let Googlebot crawl more in less time. This saves a lot of resources.
This is a practical approach for Google. It will let Google index the web faster and keep its huge database up to date. User experience is a factor. But, the main goal is to speed up Google’s crawling. This will make indexing faster and cheaper.
This efficiency benefits Google’s search engine. It allows it to deliver fresher, more relevant results to users.
Relevance Beats Speed Every Time
Google has stated that relevance is by far the top ranking factor in its search engine results. If pages that load quickly would get a ranking boost. They would easily outrank more relevant content.
Most search engine optimisation experts believe that page speed is a modifier. This means that if two pages are equally relevant and score equally on all other ranking factors, the faster page would be listed first.
Keep this in mind. Instead of removing query strings, trying to defer render blocking JavaScript may break your site. It’s better to spend time on things that matter to the user. Improve your page’s relevance for the query you are targeting.
The Importance of Website Page Speed
Users expect websites to load quickly. This is especially true on mobile, where data can cause large images to load slowly. A slow website can lead to frustrated visitors and missed opportunities. There’s no denying that page speed plays a crucial role in user experience. However, it’s not the be-all and end-all of website performance.
The Limitations of Google Page Speed Score
Google Page Speed Score is a helpful tool, but it’s not the ultimate metric for website performance. This score is based on a set of predetermined factors that may not always align with the unique needs of your website or audience.
A set of predetermined factors forms the basis of this score, which may not always align with the unique needs of your website or audience. It’s important to remember that the score is just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
Page Speed: One of Hundreds of Ranking Factors
Remember, Google uses hundreds of factors to rank websites. While page speed is one of them, it’s not the only one. Other aspects like content relevance, backlinks, and user engagement are equally influential. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by obsessing over page speed alone.
Real-World Examples
Have a look at some of the most successful websites out there. Many prioritise user experience over achieving a perfect Page Speed Score. Sites like apple.com, Forbes and eBay are prime examples. They focus on delivering a seamless, intuitive experience, even if it means their Page Speed Scores aren’t always through the roof.
Let’s have a look at Apple’s Page Speed Score. As you can see it only Scores 56%
Ebay.ie’s score is only slightly better at 68%
Forbes.com fares worst of all with a performance score of only 33% and yet dominates the SERPs
How do Google’s websites measure up on the page speed tests?
We ran the Google Trends website through the page speed insights test and it scored a miserable 38%. The site of course loads quickly as you would expect but fails on it’s actual page speed score.
We also ran Googles page speed insights test page through its own test just for fun and it scored 83%. A fairly respectable score, but when you consider it is a page with a search box, logo and a few links, it should do much better.
Ask yourself, if Google does not worry about its page speed score, why should you?
High Ranking Sites with Low Page Speed Scores
As you can see from the above results, some of the highest-ranked sites don’t have stellar Page Speed Scores. This fact alone should reassure you. A perfect score isn’t a prerequisite for high search engine rankings. Focus on delivering value to your users, and the rankings will follow.
Our Page Speed Experiment
We ran an experiment ourselves. We took a 500+ page website running on WordPress and converted it to a static HTML site and made every page speed improvement possible. The page speed score was 90% after the enhancements. We then left the site, making no changes for 3 months.
There was no noticeable change in rankings.
The Impact of Excessive Focus on Page Speed
Obsessing over a perfect Page Speed Score can stifle creativity and innovation. When web developers and designers focus only on speed, they might overlook key elements. These include user interface design, content quality, and overall user experience. Striking the right balance is key.
Practical Strategies for Improving User Experience
Don’t fixate on the perfect score. Consider these practical strategies to improve user experience:
- Optimise Images: Use compressed images without sacrificing quality. Use formats such as webp, which can have dramatically lower file sizes without compromising on quality.
- Leverage Browser Caching: Ensure returning visitors enjoy faster load times.
- Prioritise Content: Load essential content first, and defer non-essential elements. Always test this, as deferring elements may break your site or cause large layout shifts as the page is loading. If it is causing you problems, don not impliment it as the difference it makes to your actual page speed loading times in negligible.
- Streamline Code: Minimise CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.
- Use gzip Compression: Compress your files as you serve them to your visitors.
In summary, while page speed is important, it shouldn’t overshadow other critical elements of your website. Aim for balance. Prioritise user experience, content quality, and functionality.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you experienced the pressure of chasing a perfect Page Speed Score? Share your experiences. Let’s discuss how we can all achieve a better balance in our web performance plans.
If you are having issues getting your website to load quickly, why not contact us and we will be happy to help.
