If you haven’t heard yet Matt Cutts (Google’s SEO Spokesman) announced last month that performance (measured by page load speed) is a big indicator in SEO now. I’ve taken that indication seriously and have been searching out some ways to optimize the performance of my blog and think you should too.

When assessing your blog, there are really 3 separate factors that play into it’s performance:

1. Number and Complexity Database Calls pages on your site are making: This performance issue is caused by code running on your blog that is reading and / or writing to the database. The only way it can be fixed is to identify code that is making too many database calls and eliminate it or get the author of the code to optimize it. Take it from me — database queries can be tricky and small changes to them can either make them run quickly or grind your server to a screeching halt. If a software vendor releases something without optimizing queries (which, sadly, I have been guilty of in the past as well) then they could be responsible for slow performance on your site. To optimize your site you absolutely *need* some kind of tool that will show you what calls are taking the longest and where they are located.
2. Script Execution Time: There are many different factors that can influence this one. Poorly coded software in your website, your server’s hardware or just your web server software settings.
3. Memory Management: This is possibly the most elusive problem of the three. This one could be caused by how much software is loaded by your website on page loads, poor software implementation or just software that is just crunching a lot of data.

[Read more...]

Twitter Comments

	TheFrosty RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	prettylink Optimize your Blog with these Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	blairwilli Optimize your Blog with these Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	mesreflexions RT @prettylink: Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	eclaires RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	jb510 RT @TheFrosty RT @blairwilli Optimize your Blog with these Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	MrsSharonBurger RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	shunmax RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	robertharm RT @supercleanse: Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	prettylink Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools - UPDATED 3/29 http://blairwilliams.com/2gh
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	blairwilli Optimize your Blog with these 4 Powerful Tools - UPDATED 3/29 http://blairwilliams.com/2gh
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	djbconsulting RT @prettylink:Optimize your Blog with these Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	highrevenue RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these 3 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	web20empire RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these 3 Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)-I think this is a PLP feature.
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet

	web20empire RT @blairwilli: Optimize your Blog with these Powerful Tools http://blairwilliams.com/2gh (via @prettylink)
	Re-Tweet | Reply | View Tweet