Page Speed Factored into Google Search Rankings - Foreign Translations of Book - PNG Optimization - Broadband Trends - Optimization Week of April 13, 2010
Optimization Week Issue #113, April 13, 2010
After a short hiatus, we've got a content-packed issue for you gentle reader. The big news this week is that Google has now officially announced that the loading speed of a web page is indeed a factor in its search engine rankings. Although the change currently effects only 1% of US-based sites, this is a welcome trend for web usability fans. This additional ranking factor concretely links web site speed with search engine rankings. We show how the psychology of performance and search and business metrics are now even more closely related.
Next, O'Reilly has released two new foreign translations of our book, Website Optimization Secrets. A new Polish translation and a simplified Chinese version are now available on the book's companion site. In other speed news, we show how to maintain smooth alpha transparency in PNG8 and PNG24 files, using a client's site as an example. Finally, we discuss the latest broadband trends with two new articles from the Bandwidth Report.
- Page Speed Factored into Google Search Rankings
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Google's addition of a page speed signal to its search rankings algorithm officially links performance with search engine marketing. The loading speed of a web page affects user psychology in a number of ways, and now it can effect its rankings as well.
- New Polish and Simplified Chinese Translations of Website Optimization Book
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O'Reilly has released two new foreign language translations of our Website Optimization Secrets book. A new Polish translation from Helion and a simplified Chinese edition from China Machine Press.
- PNG24 and PNG Optimization
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Which program is the alpha transparency dog of PNG optimization? We put the front runners of the photo optimization pack through their paces.
- Study: Two-Thirds of World Mobile Subscribers
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Over two-thirds of the world's inhabitants have a mobile subscription, which is driving more Internet users to use wireless broadband connections.Google and the FCC propose higher speed networks to increase competitiveness.
- US Broadband Penetration Drops to 25th Worldwide
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The US dropped to 25th place in broadband penetration worldwide, according to a recent survey. Liechtenstein led all countries surveyed in broadband penetration by household and by population.
