IT'S NUANCED
Site speed is a ranking factor
The Myth
"Faster sites always rank higher than slower ones. Speed is one of the most important ranking factors."
The Truth
Site speed IS a ranking factor, but it's nuanced. It acts more as a tiebreaker than a primary factor. An extremely slow site may be demoted, but being 100ms faster than competitors won't automatically boost rankings. Google has stated speed is a 'lightweight' signal. User experience matters more holistically. That said, speed affects user experience, bounce rates, and conversions—all of which can indirectly impact SEO success.
Searchmetrics
Sites in top 3 positions were on average 1.1 seconds faster, but correlation doesn't prove causation.
DInsight from @dejanseo
"Speed matters for users, not just Google. I've seen sites with 10-second load times rank #1 because their content is unbeatable. But I've also seen speed improvements unlock ranking potential. Fix egregiously slow sites, but don't obsess over milliseconds."