Since 9th of July 2018, a website’s load time is an official ranking signal for Google’s mobile search results. According to Google, the Speed Update only impacts websites that provide the slowest user experience.

Google rarely announces an update to its search algorithm ahead of rolling it out. In mobile search, though, Google tends to be a bit more open. For instance, it gave people plenty of time to get ready for its so-called Mobilegeddon Update, which meant websites had to be mobile-friendly to attain top rankings. In January, Google announced that beginning in July, its search algorithm would include the load time of mobile URLs.

On July 9th, 2018, Google explained that the speed update is now being rolled out for all users:

Since 9th of July 2018, a website’s load time is an official ranking signal for Google’s mobile search results. According to Google, the Speed Update only impacts websites that provide the slowest user experience.

Google rarely announces an update to its search algorithm ahead of rolling it out. In mobile search, though, Google tends to be a bit more open. For instance, it gave people plenty of time to get ready for its so-called Mobilegeddon Update, which meant websites had to be mobile-friendly to attain top rankings. In January, Google announced that beginning in July, its search algorithm would include the load time of mobile URLs.

On July 9th, 2018, Google explained that the speed update is now being rolled out for all users: