Analyze Page Load Times with GTMetrix
Posted on 24. Feb, 2010 by Dave in Google, SEO, Tools
So we know that Google has hinted that speed matters (at least a little) for search engine ranking, and we also know that slow page load times lead to web site abandonment – now what? How about a nifty tool for analyzing the page load times of your site? I just came across what looks to be a great web-based tool/interface called GTmetrix. Using a simple web interface, GTmetrix determines the performance of your site and suggests methods of optimization. GTMetrix is powered by both the Yahoo YSlow and Google Page Speed tools and displays performance results from both. There is an option to create an account and save reports and historical performance graphs for up to 10 sites. There is no cost to use GTMetrix (as there is no cost to use YSlow and Google Page Speed) – of course the creator of GTMetrix, Gossamer Threads, would like you to know that should you need to optimize the speed of your site they would be glad to help.
I’ve been using the YSlow and Google Page Speed plugins that hook into the Firebug extension for Firefox and it works out fine for my purposes. But for those who don’t use Firefox or who don’t want to deal with those extensions, GTMetrix is worth checking out.