17
May
The New Google Analytics: Page Load Time with Site Speed Analytics Report
in Analytics
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Google have continued to roll out amazing updated reports and aspects of their latest version of Google Analytics, now released to all users (as an optional). I have been following these developments closely and am bringing you the most recent updates about these exciting new features.
The latest update from Google informs us that we now have the ability to measure page load speed time and also get an understanding about the site’s overall speed. There are three major reasons that we should be interested in having such information from an online marketing perspective:
- Site load speed impacts SEO – More than ever, this factor is important to achieving search engine rankings.
- AdWords Landing Page Quality – The speed of AdWords landing pages affects Quality Score, and therefore how much you pay for your ad clicks.
- Conversion Abilty – If users experience a below average loading time then this will definitely negatively impact on your website’s ability to convert.
What other useful things can site speed tell you about your website?
- Content: Which landing pages are slowest?
- Traffic sources: How do different sources measure against page load times?
- Visitor: How does page load time vary across geographic origin?
- Technology: Does your site load faster or slower for different browsers?
I want it but how do I get it?
The page speed measurement is inactive by default, so you will need to manually activate this feature within Google Analytics. This does not mean that your site is frozen in time, just that you will need to flick some additional switches.
In order to set it up, you will need to make a simple change to your Analytics tracking code. You can find detailed instructions in the Site Speed article in the Google Analytics Help Center. Once you’ve updated your tracking code, a small sample of pageviews will be used to calculate the page load time.
Have you been using the new Google Analytics? I’m interested to hear how you have been finding it. Has it been a pleasant experience or do you feel like you are lost in some insanely large shopping centre carpark, with a vague feeling about where you left your car but can’t pinpoint its exact location? It’s happened to us all at least once, so don’t be shy and write a comment below!
We’ve been in the digital marketing field for over 18 years and worked with hundreds of Australian (and international) businesses to grow their web presence. Specialising in SEO, search ads (PPC), social media, content marketing, email marketing and conversion rate optimisation.
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