New Google Metric on the way?

Well, it seems like it could be a possibility!

"At PubCon, Matt Cutts from Google, said there is strong lobbying in Google to introduce a new ranking factor into the algorithm. The new ranking factor has to do with how fast a site or page loads"

If this the case, then it could be interesting for those site designers that have no idea how to put together pages that are easy to read by breaking down the content and spreading them over a few pages, rather than have just one big page, or a page dominated just by images rather than good content!

I knew there was a reason I kept site design simple

You can read more here

 

That will provide a new direction to webmasters beside chasing behind PageRank.

 

Is this in terms to how the site is coded or how fast your hosting/server is?

 

Could be a combo! You may have a fast server with lots o code, or a slow server with lots o code...one will win out in the speed challenge

 

If the new metric would also deal with how fast/long the pages load; images affect loading time...hmmm gonna start optimizing my images now or take them off totally.

 

Not that big a deal IMO. People should have been looking at this all along if for no other reason, from a usablity perspective.

I was there in Vegas at Pubcon last Thursday when he said it at the Google/Bing Smackdown, but I've been hearing about it for months before through the grapevine. So its no shocker...

And yes... it's page load time... from the time they request the page until all of its elements have loaded... images, SWFs, HTML, everything. So server response time, how small your code is, how compressed your images are, whether you're putting your CSS/JS in external files or not, etc. will all play a part in it.

 

Seems mad to rank a site in such a way. Obviously your site should be fast for the sake of users but dertimining where it will rank is bizzare

 

This new factor shouldn't have a huge impact in the overall algorithm.

 

It is just one of the 200+ metrics and based on what is being said, it will just play a part in the overall rank - but my guess is also a small one.

 

Google continuously update its matrices.

 

When Google announces something may happen in the future, smart money is that it is already in the mix. Look closely at recent (i.e. past 6 months) changes in the SERP's. See any signs that speed may already be playing a factor?

BTW, when was it that Google released that Firefox addon - 'pagespeed' I think it is called?

 

I find it humorous people believe what Matt Cutts says.....

Not often I listen to puppets, but whatever blows ones dress up .....

Page load time has been a factor for years.......

And I don't think Google release Firefox addons...... that would typically be Mozilla but I may be wrong.

 

Site Speed Factor .. is being used for years .. but it may become more important now i guess ..

 

Yeah, yeah...

Ifyou are going to excell you need to keep up with current developments.

 

Yes, Google does. Even Microsoft releases Firefox add-ons (and so do I).

 

This could be really interesting. Certainly the site speed must be taken into consideration as it have direct impact on customer experience.

 

I excel at a lot such as SEO SEM

Not too concerned with browser add ons as something to excel at.....but thanks for the lesson.....

 

I don't pay much attention to addons either.

Now, Google? Well, that's another thing, isn't it...

If the big G is releasing addons to measure page loading speed, well that is a pretty goo clue about what they are up to I would say.

 

Except they have measured site load times for years......

As far as determining rankings, its effect would be minimal to say the least......as we all know quality anchor text links will win any war!!

 

this is all the more reason to start writing XHTML compliant code! More efficient and faster loading.