Google release new site monitoring functionality in Webmastertools

But look to be recommending you kill other analytics code

[Receptional]

I noticed to day that there is some new functionality on Webmastertools that tell you how fast your site is loading, compared to other sites on the Internet.

To get to it, log into:
[google.com...] > tools > labs-site-performance

After saying how fast or slow your site is to load, it also then goes on to tell you how to speed it up.

The insights are very valid, but it should also be noted that many of the recommendations involve reducing DNS lookups... which - whilst true in that they will speed up your site - also give your site extra functionality. Another way to look at the recommendations are that they are recommending that you delete third party systems.

My main business site is being reported as loading faster than 66% of websites. Pretty good, I would say. Google does, however, recommend that I remove my analytics code.

I would just like to point out that my site does not have to Lookup Google Analytics - so maybe this is one reason why our site loads faster?

[phranque]

pot, meet kettle!

i ALWAYS put GA last thing before </body> because it is usually slow as sch!+

[Receptional]

On a less critical note, I also note that they are linking there to a Page speed download [code.google.com] which works with Firefox.

Mind you - presumably extra plugins in you browser also affect performance ;) - but only for users with the plug-in installed.

There is a whole new set of tools and new business cases for using existing tools here for Webmasters. I sometimes wish Google would charge for some of them if only to show our customers that there is value developing expertise to use these sorts of tools. Customers seem to think... technology is free, so time to analyze information should also be free.

[EDIT ADD] I hear that they ARE indeed being even handed here, recommending that Google analytics also gets uninstalled - maybe someone can confirm this?[/Edit OVER]