Site speed has always been a major concern in SEO circles, with slow sites bumped down in the rankings so that they perform poorly in searches. Unlike a few years ago, though, a slow site no longer lags behind its competitors by a few seconds. Rather, slow sites are typically only a few milliseconds slower because, as a site’s load time increases from 1 second to 3 seconds, bounce rate probabilities increase to 32 percent; by 5 seconds, the probability is 90 percent. In terms of ranking and engagement, even the smallest increase in speed can make a big difference.
Why Speed Matters
Obviously, slow sites have higher bounce rates than their speedier counterparts, but beyond our trained impatience, does speed really matter? According to Google, it’s a key factor, particularly for those using mobile devices, and it certainly plays a role in their ranking program. That’s why the website building company Wix recently introduced a program called Wix Turbo, which provides users with speed-focused optimization services. This includes improved server-side CSS layout optimization and changes to Wix’s data center system. Like other optimization programs, this system is designed to improve users’ Google rankings and put them on that first page.