The Final Search Engine Optimization Myth – Myth #5: Is Site Speed Critical?
Site Speed is the last and most important SEO myth to discuss.
We’ve made it to the final myth of the top 5 SEO Myths of 2021, this one is a great way to end this mini myth-busting series because it is one of the more misunderstood ideas from the list.
Let’s explore how important site speed is to ranking. As the digital age becomes more advanced, humans’ attention spans become shorter. Studies have shown that attention spans have fallen from 12 seconds back in the year 2000 to 8 seconds. With this knowledge, it is fair to think that having a slow site is terrible for your SEO rankings. Let’s dive into what site speed is and how it really contributes to your SEO.
Why the Confusion With Site Speed?
Does site speed contribute to your SEO? Yes, Google made it a ranking factor back in 2018 but it primarily affects more of the mobile search rankings.
There is, however, a big misunderstanding as to what is being ranked specifically. Site speed does matter, but DOM loading is the main factor of it. DOM loading is basically the time it takes for the initial complete loading of the HTML document to turn interactive. If this is slow, it will affect your rankings. Site speed can be optimized for interactivity. An example of one way is by optimizing images on your site. Just by changing the size or the file format of a photo can make a pretty big difference in the speed.
The Final Myth Busted!
Remember that the internet is rapidly changing and it is important to always keep up to date on what is happening in SEO trends. With reading through this myth series, you can tell that there are many ways to boost and hinder your rankings of SEO. However, if this series taught you anything else besides the truth about myths, it is that with a little time, patience, and research you will make the strides to have your website’s presence thrive!
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