Google to Start Penalizing Slow-Loading Landing Pages [3/12/2008]

If you’re a Google advertiser and your landing pages load slowly, it’s going to cost you in ad positioning and dollars.

In a March 6 post on its AdWords Blog, Google states, “Keywords with landing pages that load very slowly may get lower Quality Scores (and thus higher minimum bids). Conversely, keywords with landing pages that load very quickly may get higher Quality Scores and lower minimum bids.”

Two reasons were given for this policy change, both encompassed under the “user experience” umbrella.

First, Google basically says that slow-loading pages down grades the user experience. Secondly, users tend to abandon slow loading pages, which in essence costs advertisers money (i.e., hurts advertiser conversion rate). Stated plainly, if users never get to see what your site is all about, you never get a chance to convert them to customers.

Page load times will start to be reviewed over the next few weeks. Advertisers deemed to have slow-loading pages will be notified and will have 30 days to fix any problems before their ad rates and positioning is affected by the new scoring system.

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