As early as 2010, site loading speed was listed by Google as a crucial factor in their site ranking algorithm, and they’ve recently updated their mobile algorithm to include page loading speed as a ranking signal for mobile sites as well.

Statistics show that speed is a vital factor for increasing conversions – a second’s delay can result in a 7% loss in conversions, and 79% of users who have trouble with a site’s speed is unlikely to return for a second look. Every user consistently wants a fast-loading website – that’s why optimising your site for faster performance is crucial.

In October of 2015 Google quietly released one of the biggest revisions to its search engine in recent times. While most major changes to Google’s search infrastructure (nearly 500 of which are released every year) are updates and improvements to its search algorithm, this one was different. Known as RankBrain, it is a form of robotic technology, a machine learning system that could learn and evolve on its own, providing smarter, more intuitive results with a better-than-human understanding.

Google’s recent revelations that a majority of its searches comes from mobile devices comes as no surprise with more than 80% of the world’s population having access to smartphones. But what did surprise a lot of people was the fact that a significant part of those queries were voice based.For a long time, voice search flew under the radar, popping up only on iPhone ads or when you were trying to impress somebody with what your phone could do. But behind the scenes, this technology was slowly, and quietly, getting better, more powerful and smarter – really smart.