We write our blogs and test out the integrity of our websites, but when we get down to it, what is one of the most important things? Speed. How fast do our websites load? And that brings us to one of our favorite SEO tools – GTMetrix.
What is GTMetrix?
When discussing speed performance, no SEO tool captures the information like GTMetrix. This tool analyzes speed performance in terms of the following:
- Page load time
- Total page size
- Total number of requests
To capture and analyze how fast your website performs, go to the website, input your URL, and then click on the words ‘Test Your Site.’
What Value Does GTMetrix Bring to Your SEO?
Your website might be beautiful and carry all the pertinent information in the world, but when taking longer than three seconds to load, 53% of users will leave your web page. Additionally, page load speed is connected to Google’s RankBrain, which is one of the most significant algorithms utilized by Google when ranking a site.
RankBrain dictates that there should be three things for a good ranking:
- Significant Content – This is measured in terms of the amount of people clicking on the Google listing and the amount of time they spend on your website.
- Low Bounce Rate – Bounce Rate is counted by the number of people closing your site without acting.
- Low Pogo Sticking – Pogo Sticking is when people open your site and then return to the Google Search Engine page to open a separate page because your answer doesn’t satisfy their requirements.
With those three items in mind, having people close your site for slow loading speed would give you disastrous numbers in all three categories. You will have people spending little time on your site, bouncing without acting, and pogo sticking to another website.
As you can see, in this instance, knowledge is power. Being aware of how quickly your page loads is critical to keeping you competitive in the large Internet playing field.