Another Amazing Case Study: Site Speed Does Not Seem to Improve Ranking

According to this article on site speed and ranking by Moz Google has indicated that site speed is one signal that is important to ranking. However, when we at Ducktoes SEO of Calgary tested this, we didn't find that increasing the page speed of the site increased its ranking.

What We Did
We took two of our SEO clients websites that used a highly customized Divi theme for Wordpress which made them slow to download from the web. We streamlined their code to make them download much faster. We waited for Google to index the faster loading sites. No increase in ranking for either site.  We waited a month.  No increase in ranking.

One of the sites we made a lot faster. Their site speed went from 40 to 89. It took about 60 hours for my web developer to streamline the code so it wasn't cheap to speed it up. However, the increased site speed didn't help the ranking.

The other site we put on a much faster and expensive hosting platform, after cleaning up the Divi theme.  It went from 23 to 74 in page speed. There was no increase in ranking for this site either, in fact it went down in from 9th on the first page to the middle of the second page. 

Both sites went up to the top of the first page when we refreshed their content and created relevant backlinks.

Many other SEO consultants agree with us.  If page speed is a ranking factor, it is a minor one.

https://www.reddit.com/r/SEO/comments/17bmyh6/is_pagesite_speed_actually_important/

Great and Entertaining youtube Video Channels that Will Help You Learn SEO

Wes McDowell

One of The Best (Really!)

I really love the Wes McDowell youtube channel for learning SEO.  Watch it as much as possible. He'll help you make a website that will help bring you more business, and in a simple, understandable way.

Easy Learning

What makes Wes’s channel stand out is how he breaks down complex SEO concepts into simple, bite-sized lessons that anyone can follow, regardless of your skill level. Whether you're a total beginner or someone looking to refine your strategies, he walks you through the steps in a way that's approachable and stress-free.

Do It Yourself

His content focuses on practical strategies to make your website work harder for you. From optimizing for local SEO to creating a user-friendly design that converts visitors into customers, Wes provides everything you need to build a site that doesn’t just look good—it gets results. He also shares tools, templates, and insider tips to make the process even easier.

A Great Resource

If you’re a business owner who wants more traffic, leads, and sales without getting lost in technical jargon, Wes McDowell's channel is your go-to resource. Watch a few videos, and you’ll feel like you’ve unlocked the secret to online success!

Here's one video I found very helpful:

Wes McDowell's SEO Tutorial for Beginners

And from his channel you can find all the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMq1R1LgS04lIKdpLh_OS1w



Chris Palmer

Chris Palmer’s YouTube channel is like the gym for your SEO brain—except you can do it all from your couch while eating snacks. It’s packed with everything you need to whip your website into shape and get it ranking like a champ. Here's why it’s worth your binge-watch:

Topics Galore (No Clickbait, Promise)

Chris dives into everything SEO-related, from on-page tweaks to link-building wizardry. Whether you’re trying to figure out why your site isn’t ranking or how to dominate your local pizza shop competition on Google, he’s got you covered.

SEO for the Real World (No Unicorn Dust)

Every video is like an IKEA manual—practical, straightforward, and only slightly less likely to cause frustration. Chris gives you clear, actionable tips that work, even if you’re the person Googling, “What does SEO stand for?”

Live SEO Experiments (Because Science)

Chris isn’t just sitting on his couch theorizing. He’s out there, testing things like “What happens if I build backlinks in the strangest way possible?” Spoiler: It’s either genius or disaster, and he’ll show you both.

Robots Are Your Friends

Love it or hate it, AI is here, and Chris is your guide to making it work for you. Whether it’s using AI to crank out content faster or automate tasks, he’s here to show you how to do it without accidentally creating a robot uprising.

 A Community That Gets It

The comments section is where SEO nerds and newbies unite. Got questions? Chris will likely answer them—or make a video about them. He’s like that one friend who actually answers texts.

If you want to laugh, learn, and maybe cry a little (in a good way), Chris Palmer’s YouTube channel is the SEO goldmine you didn’t know you needed.

Here's One of His Videos

https://youtu.be/B9cbwU-FCmM?si=b3Yec1BJfwOnpXha

 Or if you'd like to learn more SEO and get help designing a website or getting it to rank come to Ducktoes SEO site.