Does your site need fine-tuning? PSI will let you know

Google Webmaster Central Blog, an outlet that provides pertinent information on crawling and indexing sites on Google, broadcasted the arrival of Google's new "self-help" tool, entitled PageSpeed Insights (PSI), on January 10th. The complexities of PSI have been reduced to the following: �PageSpeed Insights provides information about how well a page adheres to a set of best practices.�

Unlike its predecessors, PSI will measure data in real time with assistance from the Chrome User Experience Report. Google�s desire to place importance on measuring �real world� data coincides with their goal to �make better recommendations for developers.� Now that we�ve established the driving force behind Google�s PSI, let�s delve into its capabilities.

Analyzing the median value of the First Contentful Paint (FCP) and DOM Content Loaded (DCL), PSI can gauge a page�s �speed score.� If the FCP and DCL fall in the top one-third of their category, the page is presumed to be working at a fast rate. If not, a page is categorized as being either average or slow. The Page Load Distributions section details where and how the FCP and DCL fall on the fast to slow spectrum.

Using performance headroom as the control variable, the PSI calculates the optimization score. The results will either read as good, medium, or low. Should the results be unfavorable, a developer may want to consider amending the appearance and functionality of their page.

Next up on the chopping block is the load time of the page�s render-blocking resources and bytes. The Page Stats portion of the PSI measures the volatility of these factors using a �median number of round trips and bytes used in the dataset.� Much like the Optimization score feature, a negative outcome may warrant a change in a page�s appearance or functionality.

When it�s time for judgement day, simply enter your URL into the PSI�s search tool and await your feedback. If your page is firing on all cylinders, suggestions will automatically be hidden. If the PSI detects sub-par performance levels, it will offer a list of best practices.