WMT site speed discrepancies

[Whitey]

WMT has a site showing consistently an average load time of 10.5s , and reports the site is 95% slower than other sites

Monitoring tool/s from over 60 different nodes shows the site loading @ 4.4s using HEAD / POST / GET HTTP methodolgy, tested every 5 minutes

Anyone seeing site speed discrepancies, WMT versus site monitoring stats? Any explanations ?

[tedster]

Yes, I've often run into discrepancies, although this sounds pretty extreme.

A lot of it, I think, has to do with how Google collects their data. It comes from Chrome users, other browsers with toolbars installed, and who knows what else. So geography plays into it a lot.

Fortunately site speed is a minor factor in a very big ranking algorithm.

[levo]

Monitoring tools usually don't execute/include dynamic content. If you're using 3rd party/external scripts (share buttons etc.), they may increase page load times. Remember, using async scripts just prevents the blocking of page load, they still delay onload event. You can try to move all non-essential external scripts loading to after window.onload.

Google is using "navigation timing" in Firefox, Chrome and IE9, and you can use it log your visitor's page loading speeds. Check the last message here: [webmasterworld.com...]

[Whitey]

Thanks for pointing out the difference

I have personally been testing and tracking this for the past 5 years and can tell you without a doubt that server responsiveness, DNS configuration and page load time are extremely important to Google natural rankings.

If your page load time exceeds <4 seconds within the Google Webmaster Tools you can safely bet that you are being scored differently than a site with an average of less than >4 seconds. [webmasterworld.com...]
I know Matt has said that it's a minor factor , but it crops up a lot on the Panda fix list.

[rlange]

If your page load time exceeds <4 seconds within the Google Webmaster Tools you can safely bet that you are being scored differently than a site with an average of less than >4 seconds.

"Exceeds less than 4 seconds"? "Less than greater than 4 seconds"? It's too darn early for me to have read something like that... :o(

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Ryan