Google Analytics Now Gives Site Speed Stats

Google Analytics has a new version out on beta.  In this new version of Analytics they now have a new feature allowing you to track the page load times for your website.  Find out if your website is blazing fast or slow as molasses.  Here’s how.

Google recently announced in a blog post their new Site Speed feature.  With this feature you can track your site’s speed in relation to specific content, traffic sources and campaigns, geographics and other visitor demographics, and various technology.  This is another way Google is pushing to speed up the web and an indication of how important they think having a fast site is.

Site Speed and SEO
It was just over a year ago that Google officially announced that they were including site speed as a factor in their rankings.  While it’s not a huge factor in their ranking algorithm, it is another factor that you can control and can make as good as possible.  It’s also a factor in good site design.

Visitors Leave Slow Sites
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve clicked on a link that looked like it was what I was looking for only to leave a minute or two later because the page hadn’t loaded yet.  If you have a slow site and don’t think it’s effecting your traffic, your wrong.  Site speed is a huge factor in the overall experience a user has on your site.  The faster the better.

How To Check Your Site Speed
If you want to try out the new Site Speed feature, you’ll have to modify your Google Analytics tracking code a little by adding the _trackPageLoadTime(); method.  You can find the specific instructions from Google here.  Also, the new feature is only available in the new beta version.  So, if you are still using the old version of GA, you’ll have to switch.  Not to worry, though.  The switch isn’t permanent.  You can always switch back.  Just look at the top, right of any page in GA (by the sign out link) and you’ll see the “New Version” link.  Click it and away you go.

I encourage you to give it a try.  See if there are pages of your content which could use some work to speed them up…or possibly your whole site.  You visitors will thank you…and Google may as well

Have you tried the new Site Speed feature?  What do you think?

How fast is your average page speed?