I am sure you have heard that your website speed can make or break your website as far as search engine positioning goes in the new Google algorithm changes. The truth of the matter is that it is not quite as big a factor as everyone thinks.
Yes, it is always a good idea to make your page load quickly. I am sure you have come across sites that take forever to load and most often you end up leaving before the page fully loads out of sheer frustration. It is for that very reason that Google has come to look at page speed as a small factor in where to place your site in the SERP.
Google is all about improving the visitor’s experience. They know that a fast site, that is easily navigated, will make happier customers BUT that does not mean that the top positions in any search string will be super fast sites. They only take the speed of your site into consideration if two sites are vying for the same position.
Let me explain; suppose you are trying to rank for the keyword phrase “Wart removal”. You have done all of the on-page SEO and you have built back links, etc. There are 2 other sites who have done exactly the same. Google will then look at the page speed and place the fastest of the 3 in the top position.
So you see, there is more to getting to the top than just page speed, but it is page speed that will help you beat out your competition for the highest placement. So, although it is not critical, it is definitely something you want to be aware of and you want to see where you stand in comparison to your competition.
To do this, you should visit http://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/ and download the FireFox Page Speed plugin. This is a great tool you can use to check on your page load time and compare your site against everyone else’s in your niche. If you find that your page loads 50% slower than the competition, you will likely want to correct that. They will even give you suggestions on how you can speed up your site.
This is not only good for your SERP, it is good for your visitors and good for saving on bandwidth. A well optimized site is a joy to surf through and will create more loyal followers.