Google built a multi-hundred-billion-dollar business by providing people with highest quality search experience and results possible. They continue to be intensely committed to excelling at delivering the best search experience possible. Take a minute to read these 13 snippets I pulled from their philosophy page.

Focus on the user and all else will follow.

Since the beginning, we’ve focused on providing the best user experience possible.

It’s best to do one thing really, really well.

We do search.

…a fast and seamless experience for millions of people.

Our dedication to improving search…

Fast is better than slow.

We know your time is valuable…

By shaving excess bits and bytes from our pages and increasing the efficiency of our serving environment, we’ve broken our own speed records many times over, so that the average response time on a search result is a fraction of a second.

…designed to be fast enough for the modern web.

…we continue to work on making it all go even faster.

Great just isn’t good enough.

Ultimately, our constant dissatisfaction with the way things are becomes the driving force behind everything we do.

Do these sound like guys that want to rank websites or web pages that are sluggish or provide subpar user experience?

Nope.

Have they been rewarded for providing the best search experience possible?

Yep. If hundreds of billions count.

What Would Happen If Website Owners Made Google’s Mission Their Own?

I’m not talking about just making your site a little faster or responsive. I’m talking embracing Google’s commitment to “provide the best user experience possible”.

Would you believe me if I told you that this commitment to improving user experience could increase your conversion rate 10 fold?

Probably not.

But it is true. Let me tell you a short story.

I in 2011 I began helping a client embrace Google’s commitment as their own. In 2011 the website generated .17 ¢ in website sales per unique visitor. Five years later the website generated $1.70 in website per unique visitor. That’s an average annual increase of 77% in dollars per visit. AND A TOTAL 10x INCREASE IN DOLLARS PER VISIT.

Some of that 10 fold increase was improving what people saw (the design). Some of it was what they read (headings, calls to action etc.). But we found a huge part of it was what they couldn’t see or read. It was what they experienced. It was the ultra optimized WordPress theme.

Apparently Google’s right, “focus on the user and all else will follow.”

Google’s Free Tool Let’s You Check Your Hosting and WordPress Theme

Google has been trying to get web developers to embrace their “focus on the user” for years. They’ve provided a resource called Google Developers. Where developers can learn how to improve the user experience. And more recently, have penalized slow non-mobile friendly sites while rewarding fast mobile friendly sites.

Google’s also provided a tool that will quickly let web developers or website owners get insights on how they can improve the user experience of their websites. It’s called PageSpeed Insights.

Some of the items the PageSpeed Insights tools audits have to do with your hosting and other items have to do with the content or images on your site, but many of the items have to do with the backend of your website. For WordPress sites – this is your WordPress theme.

Another Free (and Quicker) Tool From Google To Audit Sites With… Chrome

While the interface of PageSpeed Insights linked to above is easy on the eyes there’s another free (but quicker) way you should also consider using Google Chrome to audit your site and others.

Why?

Because if Google is watching this data via Chrome and have given us access to see what they’re seeing – maybe they want us seeing it.

How?

Follow these steps to get the 411 on any web pages speed:

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click ‘View’ from the menu bar.
3. Hover over ‘Developer’.
4. Select Developer Tools
5. From the developer menu bar select ‘Network’.
6. Refresh the page your on or visit any web page you’d like data for.
7. The developer window will display:
   • Number of File Requests
   • DOMContentLoaded Time
   • Total Load Time
8. Now move from ‘Network’ tab to ‘Audit’ tab in the developer window.
9. Click run audit for speed suggestions.
10. Bonus: Move from the ‘Audit’ tab and click the mobile/tablet icon and view your page as any device.

What it Takes to Be an Ultra-Optimized WordPress Theme

There are thousands of WordPress themes. I’ve personally analyzed hundreds if not thousands. Unfortunately, the great majority are subpar. This includes (and usually especially) the really popular customizable themes that come loaded with shortcodes or drag and drop functionality.

To be “Ultra” optimized, a theme needs every possible optimization available. Here’s what it takes:

1. Responsive
2. Minimal file requests
3. Small page sizes
4. Blazing fast load times
5. Few if any necessary plugins
6. Built-in SEO options
7. Top-notch security
8. Single click updates

Which themes are best able to meet the above requirements?

Genesis Child Themes.

Why?

The Genesis Framework is very optimized out of the box.

Quick Tip: Remember not all Genesis Child Themes are created equal. If you’re not building one from scratch, and not sure which ones to use – stick with the Genesis Child Themes built by StudioPress.

How Ultra-Optimized WordPress Themes Are Helping Brands With Conversion Rate Optimization

1. Lower bounce rates
2. More pages per visit
3. Higher average time on site
4. More returning visitors

In additions to have significant positive impact on conversion rates and engagement, Ultra-Optimized themes also have a significant positive impact on rankings and organic traffic.

Once You’ve Embraced “User First” Web Development You Won’t Go Back

Let’s be honest. Most web WordPress themes are built with a “site owner first” or “developer first” mindset. Their nifty shortcodes and drag and drop functions are so convenient for the developer.

BUT!

It comes with a price. A price not worth paying.

It’s something you’ve got to experience to really understand.

Once you embrace the “user first” philosophy – you won’t go back.

Knowing the difference between the paid business directory listings that help and those that hurt is invaluable. The best brands can use this to help be sure they are getting the first chance at high-value inbound searches/traffic.

Three Quick Signals To Tell The Good From The Bad

1. Built and Managed By Brands: Genuine professional directories (not to mention sustainable and scalable) allow the brands to build and edit their own listings/profiles. Paying to be part of a directory that you can’t edit is an immediate red flag. It may not be a directory at all. You may actually be paying for a link. Google penalizes sites that are associated with paid link building. Google knows the difference from a true directory and sites that are low quality. A lot of brands (especially for local search) have to spend good money on cleaning up inconsistent web presences (and having helped a good number of brands through this headache) – I’d opt to pass on paying for profiles you cannot edit yourself.
2. Name, Address and Phone: To be a valuable directory the listings/profiles must at least include a place to add and edit your Business Name, Business Address, and Business Phone. It’s even better for paid directories to have fields that allow brands to add and edit Business Hours, Business Description, Category, and Payments Accepted. If you’re paying for a listing that uses a unique phone number and call tracking – I recommend brands reconsider. This practice can hurt the consistency of your web presence.
3. A No-Obligation Link: Good directories allow brands to add and edit a no obligation link to their website. There was a time people sought out directories that allowed do follow links rather than no follow. This criterion should be ignored – we’ve helped and watched brands be rewarded for having high-quality web presences (without do-follow links). In fact, for local search, I see the lower quality and spammy links come from do-follow sources. Also, worth noting, no-obligation does include no requirements of linking your brand’s website back to the directory (via text or a badge) – this shows the directory is using your dollars to build their own web presence, not yours.

Two Bonuses of Great Directories

1. Bonus 1: Some directories allow brands to add links to social profiles. If you’re paying for a directory that has this feature – take advantage of it. Of course, you want people directed to your website not social profiles, but you also want your social profiles to become more authoritative (in the view of search engines) than competitors social profiles. An increase in the authority of your social profiles only makes your brand and its ability to get rank and get found via inbound search better.
2. Bonus 2: Some directories even allow

Judging the Value of a Directory

1. Membership Perks: Sometimes a directory is just a part of a membership. Like a chamber of commerce. If the other perks are valuable to your brand take that into consideration.
2. Where Are Your Competitors?: Does your brand’s top competitors have listings in the directory? If yes, then the listing is more valuable to you. This is local search optimization. And you don’t want your competitors to get any authority or relevance signals you aren’t.
3. Does it add authority or social proof?: The National Pest Management Association is a good example of a directory that helps brands build trust with consumers. The association not only gives you a directory but you can get certified as a “Green Pro” or “Quality Pro” and you can display those certifications on your website. People trust brands that have a big variety of “social proof” – high rating average, lots of reviews, lots of social shares/followers, and have badges to show off their memberships, certifications, and awards. Take the potential trust and social proof into account when considering the value of a directory.

Conclusion – Don’t Lose Sight of The End Goal

Search engines don’t want to send searchers to directories (another search engine). They don’t want to send people to Yelp or Angie’s List or The Better Business Bureau. They want to replace all directories and search engines. They want to immediately provide people with the best results. With reviews, directions, phone numbers and of course websites – all in one place – their place. And what you want to do is be the brand at the top, with the most and best reviews, and with a blazing fast website that converts visitors to buyers. Don’t lose sight of that! That’s where the big reward is. Don’t let tiny paid listings get in the way of that reward! Once you’ve made it their you’ll understand why.