--- title: "Speed update (2018): page speed in mobile ranking, then and now" url: https://seomadman.com/updates/speed-update-2018 section: updates language: en published: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-09-26T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["Page speed"] --- # Speed update (2018): page speed in mobile ranking, then and now ## The short answer Google announced the Speed Update on 17 January 2018 and began rolling it out for all users on 9 July 2018. It made page speed a ranking factor for mobile searches, which had previously applied only to desktop. Google said it would only affect the slowest pages and a small percentage of queries. Core Web Vitals now fill that role. ## Key takeaways - Google announced the Speed Update on 17 January 2018 and said it was rolling out for all users on 9 July 2018. - It made page speed a ranking factor for mobile searches, not just desktop searches. - Google said it would only affect pages delivering the slowest experience and a small percentage of queries. - Google said a slow page could still rank highly if it had great, relevant content. - Today Google says Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems. ## What Google changed Speed had been a ranking signal for desktop searches. On 17 January 2018, Google announced that "starting in July 2018, page speed will be a ranking factor for mobile searches." Google named it itself: "The 'Speed Update', as we're calling it, will only affect pages that deliver the slowest experience to users and will only affect a small percentage of queries." Google said the update applied the same standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to build them. It also set a limit on the signal: "a slow page may still rank highly if it has great, relevant content," because query intent remained a very strong signal. ## When it rolled out Google added a note to its announcement dated 9 July 2018: "The Speed Update is now rolling out for all users." Google stated no completion date or rollout length. ## What is known about its impact Google's only statement of scale was the one in the announcement: the slowest pages and a small percentage of queries. It published no figures after launch. Any estimate of how many sites lost traffic to the Speed Update is a third-party number. ## What site owners should do The Speed Update's role is now held by Core Web Vitals. Google's page experience documentation says "Core Web Vitals are used by our ranking systems," and recommends site owners achieve good Core Web Vitals. It also cautions that good scores don't guarantee top rankings: - Measure field performance, not only lab scores. Google's 2018 post pointed to the Chrome User Experience Report, which records real-world Chrome users' experience. - Use Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights to find specific performance fixes. - Fix the slowest templates first. The 2018 update targeted only the slowest pages, and Google says chasing a perfect score for SEO alone may not be the best use of time. - Keep content quality first. Google still says it seeks to show the most relevant content, even if the page experience is sub-par. ## How to check whether it affected you This is historical. Search Console keeps 16 months of performance data, so it cannot show July 2018. In archived analytics, compare mobile organic Google traffic for your slowest pages in the weeks before and after 9 July 2018. For today, Search Console's Core Web Vitals report shows which URLs are slow for real users. The [Google Algorithm Updates timeline](/updates) lists the updates around it. ## Related updates - The [intrusive interstitials update](/updates/intrusive-interstitials-update-2017) was the previous mobile page experience signal. - The [page experience update](/updates/page-experience-update-2021) brought in Core Web Vitals as ranking signals. ## Frequently asked questions ### When did the Speed Update roll out? Google announced it on 17 January 2018 for July 2018, and added a note to its announcement on 9 July 2018 saying the Speed Update was now rolling out for all users. Google stated no completion date. ### Which pages did the Speed Update affect? Google said it would only affect pages that deliver the slowest experience to users and only a small percentage of queries. It applied the same standard to all pages, regardless of the technology used to build them. ### Was there a tool that showed whether a page was affected? No. Google said no tool directly indicated whether a page was affected, and pointed to the Chrome User Experience Report, Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights to evaluate a page's performance. ### Is page speed still a Google ranking factor? Google's current page experience documentation says Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems. It adds that good scores don't guarantee top rankings. ## Sources 1. [Using page speed in mobile search ranking](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2018/01/using-page-speed-in-mobile-search) - Google Search Central Blog (primary) 2. [Understanding page experience in Google Search results](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience) - Google Search Central (primary)