Meet the Two New SEO KPIs To Monitor Before July 2018

Here are two recent Google Updates worth paying attention to:

1. Page load time will be a ranking signal for mobile search results around July of 2018.
2. Google Page Speed Insights tool has updated to analyze mobile page load time differently.

Google publicly announced they were beginning their mobile-first index project back in November of 2016. This project sets out to reconfigure Google’s organic ranking algorithms so that they are base ranking from how the landing page renders on a mobile device. Currently, Google’s algorithms base rank from the desktop version of each landing page and this project aims to shift that. 

There have been no public announcements that the mobile-first index is rolled out yet. However, the recent page speed blog post is an indication that they are likely shooting for a July 2018 timeline with mobile page speed being a ranking we will all need to consider.

Something to pay attention to...

Pay close attention to two new metrics Google added to the page speed insight tool. The new metrics are First Contentful Paint (FCP) and DOM Content Loaded (DCL).

These metrics were added to the speed scoring tool and then a week later Google announced it will use mobile page speed in its algorithm. However, for this SEO, it feels a little too coincidental that these updates were released so close together. An update to the page speed scoring tool and an announcement that page speed will be used in the mobile organic algorithm.

Our read on it is that Google will likely use both of the metrics the new page speed insight score is measuring in the organic mobile algorithm. 

As Dave Capone, SEO Director of Fanatics, reminded me, “when it comes to learning the truth behind Google’s algorithm updates we need to remember that sometimes the best way to keep a secret hidden is to hide it in plain sight.” 

What are the new page speed insight KPIs really measuring?

First contentful paint (FCP): FCP measures the first piece of content that is displayed on the screen for your visitor. GTM Metrix explains it simply in their post.

DOM Content Loaded (DCL): DCL measures when the html document has been loaded and parsed, without waiting for stylesheets, images, and subframes to finish loading. Simply put, the code has all been loaded without any other obstacles standing in the way for the visitor.

Want to learn what you can you do to ensure your pages are ready for July’s mobile algorithm update?

...read the guidelines outlined in the original version of this post here.

Want to learn the 2018 SEO basics?

Sign up for a free webinar that I am teaching devoted towards understanding the basics. It will be on 2/21/18 at 2pm ET. Register here.