Google previously announced a new update to their PageSpeed Insights Tool.
There are a number of new changes to their user interface. The main benefits of these changes include making it easier for reporting reasons, as well as improvements overall for ease of use.
Modifications have also been made to alter how it operates under the hood..
PageSpeed Insights is a critical tool to use for any SEO professional who wants to measure how their site is doing with regards to Google’s Core Web Vitals metrics.
Aside from being overhauled with a new UI, there is also a new location: https://pagespeed.web.dev/.
Prior to this, it was located at https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/.
What is Google PageSpeed Insights?
For those who are unfamiliar with this tool, Google created it so that SEO Professionals can determine how their website aligns with Core Web Vitals metrics. It also produces automated suggestions on how to improve the site’s page speed.
Back in 2018, Google upgraded the tool to use field data in the real world from Chrome browsers.
What’s New in PageSpeed Insights?
Google explained that there are several new improvements, including separating field data and lab data more clearly.
New Core Web Vitals Assessment Section
There is a brand-new section that assesses Core Web Vitals for a website in greater detail. The assessment process itself, however, has not changed.
They still measure the Core Web Vitals metrics: FID, LCP, and CLS.
They did, however, change labels for mobile and desktop performance in the navigation menu.
This menu now includes links to both desktop and mobile versions of the page speed test performance results.
There is also new information at the bottom of each field, as well as the larb card. This information shares details about the sampled data including:
- Chrome versions
- Sample size
- Devices
- Visit Durations
- Period of data collection
- Network connections
A drill-down feature, which lets you see even more detailed information via a new “Expand View” feature, has also been added. This granular detail can be helpful when it comes to dissecting Core Web Vitals metrics.
What Is The Difference Between Lab Data and Field Data?
For those who are not aware, there are two different types of data that PageSpeed insights collects: lab data and field data.
In simple terms, as Google explains: lab data is “performance data collected within a controlled environment with predefined device and network settings.
Field data is performance data collected from real page loads experienced by your users in the wild.”
Other differences between lab data and field data include:
- Lab data can reproduce results within a debugging type of environment, but it is unlikely to capture any bottlenecks that could occur in the real world.
- With lab data, you have to know your user’s typical behavior, devices, and networks. You also have to monitor these things when you run tests on page speed performance.
- There are also other situations that can affect performance including whether users are commuting and using their phone, as well as internet traffic congestion.
Why Is This Important?
If you are an SEO professional constantly in search of ways to improve your page speed, this is the tool for you.
Figuring out the best way to improve your page speed metrics is something that has gained a foothold in SEO in recent years, and even more so with Google’s Page Experience update.
For more in-depth information about how Google has enhanced this tool, be sure to check out their official announcement.
