Impact of Google Page Speed Update on PPC Campaigns Performance

Listen up, folks! Google has officially rolled out the Speed Update to all users on July 9^th, 2018. From now on, page speed is an important ranking factor for mobile searches. If you have an organic presence on mobile search or you’re involved in mobile-specific Google Ads management, you may need to shift your focus slightly.

Overview of Google Page Speed Update

Google Ads campaign managers point out that page speed has been an important ranking factor since 2009. This is true but earlier it was used to rank desktop searches whereas the focus now is on mobile searches. Everybody knows that mobile search volumes surpassed desktop volumes in 2016 and the Speed Update is part of Google’s efforts to ensure a level playing field and improved the user experience.

Impact of Page Speed on Ad Campaigns

• As of now, Google Ads management experts believe the impact to be minimal. Google itself says that the Speed Update will only negatively impact a small number of pages that deliver the slowest load times when compared to competitors in SERPs. You’re safe if you don’t have organic mobile search presence (although you should seriously consider it).

• If you do have an organic mobile presence, then you might experience an uptick in traffic coming from your PPC ad campaigns. This can happen if you have a slow loading website/pages and your ranking takes a hit.

Also read: The Impact of Voice Search on Paid Search Ads Campaigns

Quick Solution for Improving Load Time

If slow loading pages are the culprit, one quick fix solution is to make the switch to AMP. An accelerated mobile page (AMP) is a hosted, stripped down version of your standard HTML page. AMPs are still scarce and they load super quickly. Although you may sacrifice some control over page design, they are worth a shot.

Google Ads Strategies for Slow-Loading Websites

• If you have a super slow website and you’re not considering an improvement any time soon, it may be wise to lower mobile bids in your PPC campaigns. Otherwise, you may attract clicks that bounce before landing on your website because of a slow page load time.

• Your Google Ads campaign manager will probably want to analyze any changes to your mobile PPC traffic as well as organic site traffic over a month or so before recommending any mobile bid changes.

The connection between Speed Update and Landing Pages

Quick load time is considered by Google to determine landing page experience. Good white label PPC Google Ads professionals know that the landing page experience makes up a significant portion of Quality Score – that all-important algorithm that determines how much you pay per click and at which position your ad gets placed.

Also read: Still Missing Out On PPC Conversions? Focus on Mobile PPC Strategy

Tips to Improve Landing Page Performance and Campaign Performance

• Decrease landing page load times and make sure the pages load quickly on all device platforms – mobile, desktop and tablet. You can try switching to AMPs for your landing pages to make them more responsive.

• For better campaign performance, provide clear and accurate product information on the landing page.

• Make sure a landing page includes ad copy keywords and provides an offer that is commensurate with user intent.

• Include trust indicators such as social proof and accolades that showcase your credibility.

• Have a strong, prominently displayed call-to-action and form field. Make sure it’s prominent on your mobile landing page as well, where space is limited.

How to Check Page Speed

There is a free-to-use Google tool recommended by white label Ads professionals to evaluate a page’s performance. The Google PageSpeed Insights tools allow you to audit web page quality by taking into consideration performance and accessibility. PageSpeed Insights reports provide information on how well a web page performs on Google as well as recommendations for optimizing performance.

Important Takeaways

Google’s Speed Update is an important step to deliver an improved mobile search experience. It could potentially hit your organic mobile search rankings but its impact on your Google Ads campaigns is likely to be minimal. Just make sure your mobile landing pages are optimized and loading quickly. If your mobile site is loading slow, consider alternative steps such as lowering mobile bids in your PPC campaigns or strengthening your desktop search campaigns till you make the necessary improvements.