Google Speed Update: The New Mobile Speed Algorithm Will Use a Gradual Scale

The Google Speed Update could land any day now, since it was announced for July 2018, and John Mueller has just shared more about how the new mobile speed algorithm will work. It will differ somewhat from the desktop version, because speed will be assessed on a gradual scale. Here’s what that means.

As we reported a few weeks ago, page load speed will soon affect how a site ranks in mobile search. Google’s mobile results will follow the lead of desktop search, where speed has already been part of the algorithm for several years.

But if we assumed it would work exactly the same way, we were wrong. At least, that’s what John Mueller suggests.

The Google Speed Update, Explained by John Mueller

“It’s a bit different than the other speed update that we did, in general, you know maybe like seven or eight years ago where there is no differentiating between like fast and slow. It’s more of a gradual scale.” John Mueller

Google’s Webmaster Trends Analyst shared these details about the upcoming Speed Update during a Google Webmaster Central hangout on Friday, June 29, 2018.

The update will use a gradual scale. In other words, a site’s speed won’t simply be judged fast, average, or slow. It will be assessed in increments.

What Are the Consequences?

It’s hard to predict exactly what this different treatment of speed will mean. But it’s a fairly safe bet that even the smallest improvement could have a positive effect on a site’s rankings, and that the reverse is true as well. Google has also said the update would only affect the slowest sites.

Speculation is running high, but we should get answers to our questions soon.

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Where Things Stand in 2026

The Speed Update rolled out on July 9, 2018. Google later folded speed and responsiveness into Core Web Vitals, part of its page experience signals since 2021, and Interaction to Next Paint (INP) replaced First Input Delay (FID) on March 12, 2024. Our website speed optimization checklist covers today’s metrics.