As a site owner, there's a lot to keep in mind to rank on Google's SERP. One of which includes the mobile speed of your site. In recent years, this has become a major ranking factor in the online world. And that's as a result of Google's mobile-first index.
It is common knowledge that Google used the desktop version of a site or webpage to evaluate and rank a page's content on its SERP. Hence, users had to ensure their site's desktop version had it all - good user experience, fast loading times, and so on. However, this changed in recent years.
In 2019, Google enabled the new form of indexing by default for all new sites. Unlike its predecessor, as the name implies, mobile-first indexing focuses on a site's mobile version when indexing a page. For the most part, this isn't surprising.
After all, mobile users have dominated the net in recent years. So, it's only natural that a site should be designed with these users in mind. And so, this leads to the mobile-first index. Now, users have to ensure their site's mobile version is not lacking.
Thankfully, there are many tools online to make this possible. And one such tool is undoubtedly Website Mobile Speed Checkers. What is it?
Website mobile speed checkers simply refers to online tools that allow users to check the speed of their mobile site. And this is essential. After all, your site's loading speed has a lot to play when it comes to user experience and SERP ranking.
Of course, there are multiple speed checkers out there and this article will discuss some of them. But first, you need to know how to achieve the best results using these tools. Below are three tips that'll help you do so.
How to effectively use website mobile speed checkers
Understand the test results
After each test, the speed checker used will give you a full report about the speed of your site. You'll get to see your site's performance on various parameters that affect your website's speed.
One such parameter includes your site's loading time. As a site owner, you have to pay more attention to this detail. After all, it's the factor that affects your visitors the most. If your site takes time to load, you may experience a drop in traffic and a loss in potential clients. Not only that, it may even affect your brand's reputation.
Hence, you need to thoroughly review each detail concerning your site's loading time. Find out how long it takes for your videos and photos to load. Most importantly, focus on the time taken for your site to respond to visitors' requests.
By understanding the report from your speed test, you'll be able to determine whether or not your site needs improvement. If so, you'll be able to know what factors to work on. Thankfully, some speed checkers offer working suggestions on how to fix any issues relating to your site's speed.
Check your site's speed on various locations
Many speed checkers allows users to test their site's speed from different parts of the globe. This feature allows site owners to know what their visitors are experiencing. And if used correctly, you are a step closer to improving your site's user experience.
Take, for instance - the majority of your website's visitors come from North America. However, you tested your speed with servers located in Europe. No doubt, you'll get a result different from what your main visitors feel. And that's why it is essential to know the location your users are coming from.
Thankfully, there are SEO tools designed for this. One such tool includes Google Analytics.
By knowing where your users are from, you can conduct a speed test with servers in that location. And if your users come from various parts of the world, multiple tests will help.
Multiple speed tests
Aside from your visitors' location being from various parts of the world, there are other reasons to run multiple tests on your site's speed. Why? Because there are so many factors that influence site speed, running a test with one Speed Checker may not give you an accurate result.
And that's why you need to test your site speed multiple times. First, run multiple tests with a tool (results may differ usually because of caching). Next, do the same with other tools.
Then, compare all the results to get the average loading time of your site. With that, you can decide whether your website needs work or not.
The top Website speed checkers
As seen above, conducting multiple tests on various tools will help you get more accurate results. Hence, having more than one Speed Checker in your arsenal will be a huge help. The following are all top speed checkers with a lot to offer. But most importantly, they are tools that support the mobile version of your site.
PageSpeed Insights by Google is a popular website speed checker that gives you a detailed report on your site's performance. It supports multiple platforms which include desktop and mobile. By switching between platforms, you can find issues that are common with both versions of your site.
PageSpeed Insights also offers suggestions for each problem associated with your site's speed. Isn't that interesting? You can get tips on how to solve an issue from Google themselves.
With PageSpeed Insights, you can be confident of getting an accurate report on your site's speed (along with helpful recommendations). Though some beginners may find it challenging, it's a tool you wouldn't want to miss having for your site's mobile version.
Here's another top-class mobile speed checker - Pingdom. Known for its ease of use and user-friendliness, Pingdom provides you with a detailed, but easy-to-understand report. But that's not all.
Above, you saw how essential it is to check your site's speed across several locations. Well, Pingdom is your ideal tool for this. With servers located in different countries, Pingdom allows you to easily understand your visitors' experience.
It also offers suggestions on how to improve your site's speed. These are just some of the many features offered by this tool. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you may find Pingdom impressive.
Meeting the standard of the two above, GTmetrix is another widely-known speed checker. It supports testing your site's speed in multiple locations. And also provides a detailed report of your site's performance along with working suggestions.
GTmetrix makes use of PageSpeed's rules along with its prioritization for mobile versions. While GTmetrix allows users to test their site's speed for free, it also offers premium packages. No doubt, this comes with more features like an increase in server locations and mobile site testing.
Without a doubt, GTmetrix is a tool that gives users all the impressive features of site speed checkers. So, it's only natural that it is one of the highly rated and recommended tools out there.
Wrapping Up
Even before the inception of the mobile-first index, checking your site's speed has been an essential practice for better rankings and higher traffic. The only thing that's changed since then is users' priority.
Before, desktop versions were the focus of site owners and webmasters. Now, the mobile version has taken that spot. Whether this changes or not, you have to ensure that both versions of your site are at their best. That's the best way to maintain rankings and boost user experience.
And to do this, you'll need a speed checker that offers detailed report, support multiple locations, and offers accurate suggestions. The three website mobile checkers discussed in this article are designed for this.
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