It’s no secret that Google wants the internet to be faster; that’s not news to any of us. What is new however, is this little notification in AdWords:
Google AdWords
Given that the search quality and AdWords teams apparently never talk to each other this is quite significant, and highlights just how seriously Google takes user experience. The quoted figure from way back in 2010 for E-commerce is 2 seconds or less, and more recently John Mueller mentioned that 2-3 seconds should be aimed for.
We’re actually quite surprised that Google have taken this long to push this through the main AdWords interface. Slow sites have been known to have conversion problems – something that Google are keen to avoid. Google wants to ensure that the AdWords experience remains a positive one for the majority of users. However, Searchengineland mentioned that Google guidelines were stating that slow site speed could impact Ad Performance and Ad Rank.
“If it takes too long for your website to load when someone clicks on your ad, they’re more likely to give up and leave your website. This unwelcome behaviour can signal to Google that your landing page experience is poor, which could negatively impact your Ad Rank.”
As if to underline the importance of mobile optimisation, (especially going forwards with the mobile first index) although the AdWords notifications don’t actually mention this, the “53% of people leave sites taking over three seconds to load” figure actually refers specifically to mobile devices! This means if you run a PPC campaign targeting mobile users, it’s even more important to deliver a smooth experience.
If you’d like help with optimising your website for speed and conversions (or want to know more about mobile-first) why not get in touch with one of our team today?