Launched in July 2018, the Mobile Page Speed Update was an algorithm change that made page speed a ranking factor for mobile searches. This update was designed to improve the user experience on mobile devices by prioritising faster-loading pages in search results.
Fallouts and Highlights from the Update
The Mobile Page Speed Update didn’t cause widespread ranking changes, as Google had stated it would only affect the slowest sites. However, it did have a significant impact on how websites approached mobile optimisation.
One notable case was the BBC, which reported that they had managed to cut their mobile page load times by 65% through various optimisation techniques in preparation for this update. This highlighted how even large, established websites were taking mobile speed seriously.
The update sparked renewed interest in technologies like Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and Progressive Web Apps (PWAs), which are designed to enhance mobile performance. Many publishers, especially in the news industry, doubled down on their AMP implementation efforts.
Google provided several tools to help webmasters prepare for the update, including the Mobile Speed Scorecard and the Impact Calculator. These tools allowed site owners to compare their speed against competitors and estimate the potential revenue impact of speed improvements.
The SEO community generally welcomed the update as a step towards better mobile experiences, although some expressed concerns about the potential advantages it might give to larger companies with more resources for speed optimisation.
Strategy Evolution
The Mobile Page Speed Update necessitated several shifts in SEO and web development strategies:
- Increased focus on mobile-first design and development
- Greater emphasis on technical SEO, particularly around page speed optimisation
- More attention to server-side optimizations and content delivery networks (CDNs)
- Development of strategies to balance rich content with fast load times
- Renewed importance of monitoring and improving Core Web Vitals
This update marked a significant shift in how websites approached mobile optimisation. It encouraged developers and SEO professionals to think beyond just responsive design and consider the entire mobile user experience, with speed as a crucial factor.
For many websites, this meant undertaking comprehensive speed audits and implementing various optimisation techniques. Common strategies included compressing images, minifying CSS and JavaScript, leveraging browser caching, and reducing server response times.
The update also led to more careful consideration of third-party scripts and ad implementations, which can significantly impact page speed. Many sites began to more critically evaluate the performance cost of each element added to their pages.
Overall, the Mobile Page Speed Update pushed the web development and SEO industries towards more performance-oriented practices. It underscored Google’s commitment to improving the mobile web experience and set a new standard for mobile optimisation.
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