0%
You don't need statistics to understand the importance of first-page ranking in search engine results. Can you remember the last time you looked at a second page? Was it when you were trying to find where your website ranked? If your e-commerce site isn't ranking as high as you'd like, page load speed may be part of the problem.
What is Page Speed?
Page speed is the time it takes for a page request to be processed and content rendered in a browser. It depends on factors such as content, connection type, device, browser, and operating system. Key metrics like the following are often used to evaluate the time it takes to load a page.
- Time to First Byte (TTFB). This metric monitors the time it takes to load the first data byte after a user has requested a website.
- Time to First Draw (TTFD). This value measures the time it takes for the first content to display on the user's screen.
- Time to Usability. This number reflects the time it takes for a page to be obvious and fully functional.
The ideal loading speed should be less than two or three seconds.
Why is Page Speed Important?
Search engines focus on providing a good user experience. They aim to deliver the best results to a user query as quickly and accurately as possible. Research shows that people will likely abandon websites that load on a desktop in less than three seconds. Speed as a ranking factor for mobile search has become crucial to positive user experiences. Shoppers using a mobile device are looking for a page load speed of less than six seconds.
Slow load times result in poor user experiences that impact search engine rankings and e-commerce profitability. For example, users expect a page to load in one to two seconds. If it loads in one second, the transaction conversion averages 3.05%. After four seconds, it drops below 2%. Every second beyond four decreases the e-commerce conversion rate by an average of 0.3%.
This metric translates into high bounce rates and low dwell times, indicating poor customer experience to SEO algorithms. Although search engines such as Google look at factors like overall experience and site authority, they consider speed as a ranking factor when responding to queries.
How Does Page Speed Affect SEO?
Google has 81.95% of the desktop search engine market, followed by Bing with 10.51% and Yahoo with 2.67%, making its SEO algorithms crucial to website visibility. Although Google's SEO rankings include over 200 factors, the top ten have the most impact on placing a website on page one.
Google Ranking Factors
Google ranks quality content as the most essential factor in its ranking. Its goal is to display relevant, high-quality information. Ranking factors include:
- Backlinks from other websites.
- Keywords to identify content
- Website structure to understand how a site is organized
- Technical performance that delivers good user experience through site stability
Other factors, such as social media interactions and brand integrity, play a part in Google's SEO rankings.
Google wants to deliver an exceptional user experience to grow its market share. Poor-performing sites hinder that growth.
What Causes Slow Page Speed?
While one technical factor can slow load time, most slow speeds are a combination of factors such as file sizes, unoptimized code, and excessive resource requests.
Large File Size
Product images are essential for effective e-commerce sales. However, too many pictures can overwhelm shoppers and slow down loading times. Video files are becoming more popular, with 91% of companies using video as a marketing tool. Finding a balance between a quality image or video and an optimum load time can take time and testing.
Excessive Requests
Whenever a page needs to display an image, the browser sends a request to the server. Depending on the number of images, the request/response cycle can significantly slow load times. For example, a shopper queries a clothing site for all shirts in a medium. If the site design returns a single image per request, the search results could take minutes to display, depending on the number of items. To prevent shoppers from abandoning the site, improve page speed by minimizing the number of resource requests.
Unoptimized Code
Websites are never static. As more products or options are added, images increase. Changes in navigation or user interactions can slow the loading of JavaScript or CSS files. Without regular code reviews, websites can continue to download unused or duplicate code, increasing file sizes and load times.
Centralized Content
When content is centralized, all requests go to a single server. The roundtrip from browser to server depends on the server's location and the user. If the database server is in New York and the request comes from Tokyo, the data has to travel further than if the data were in Seattle. Distributing content using a CDN reduces the latency when requests travel long distances.
A CDN caches the centralized content on various servers within the network. When a request comes in, the content is pulled from the closest server. If static content changes on the centralized server, the updates are mirrored on the CDN servers.
How to Test Your Page Speed
Although there are many tools for page speed testing, Google's Pagespeed Insights is the most informative. The speed test involves more than a single performance score. It delivers data on Google's Core Web Vitals (CWV).
Google considers achieving the desired CWV metrics to be part of a website's best practices. The metrics include the following:
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP measures loading performance, with a target of 2.5 seconds from the start of loading the page. (This metric is similar to the time to usability of other speed tests.
Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
INP indicates how responsive a web page is once a request is sent. It measures page responsiveness to all user actions on a given page. The INP value reflects the longest response time, which should be less than 200 milliseconds. (It is roughly equivalent to the TTFD.)
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS measures unexpected layout shifts during a page's lifecycle. A layout shift can happen when a video or image is added to the page, causing the surrounding text to shift. A high CLS score indicates an unstable website. Websites should target a score of less than 0.1.
FAQs
What is a good page speed?
Good page loading times are between one and three seconds.
Why is website speed important for e-commerce?
A page that loads faster has a higher transactional conversion rate, offers a better user experience, and ranks higher on Google's search results.
How can I test my website speed?
While there are many speed testing tools, Google's Pagespeed Insights provides useful metrics on its Core Web Vitals (CWV)
What is Google PageSpeed Insights?
It is a testing tool that provides metrics for website performance.
Improve Your Page Speed and Increase Conversion Rates
Site speed is more than a nice-to-have. It can mean the difference between profitability and breaking even. While the technical details of TTFD or CLS can be overwhelming, partnering with Transform Agency can help. We optimize your code, theme, media use, and infrastructure to eliminate inefficient code, poorly conceived themes, large file sizes, and slow server performance.
Our services include analyzing browser cache configurations to reduce the stress on your infrastructure. As we configure and optimize extensions, your website will achieve maximum efficiency and peak performance. Why not contact us to discuss how we can improve your website's SEO ranking?
Expert in ecommerce website development topics. Skilled SEO Specialist with a proven track record of improving website visibility and search engine rankings. Experienced in keyword research, on-page and off-page optimization, link building, and content strategy development. Passionate about staying updated with the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes to ensure optimal online presence.
Experienced SEO Specialist with a proven track record of improving website visibility and search engine rankings. Skilled in keyword research, on-page and off-page optimization, link building, and content strategy development. Passionate about staying updated with the latest SEO trends and algorithm changes to ensure optimal online presence.
