One of the many factors that plays into search engine optimization (SEO) is how quickly your website loads. Basically, Google hates old clunky websites that take forever to open. Over the last few years Google has been pushing their algorithm to be more and more human in it’s preferences. We hate slow websites and so ultimately Google does as well. This can be particularly tricky for WordPress sites that are susceptible to plug-in and widget bloat. Sometimes adding a cool new feature to your site may not be worth the time it takes to load.
A great place to start optimizing your site for faster load times is the Pingdom Website Speed Test. Not only do they show your load time and a benchmark for how you rate versus other sites… but they also give you a complete performance grade breakdown with a places you can start tweaking your site.
It’s also free. Free is the best.
~ Jim