Will page speed be less important in AI Search?

Summary

Voices of Search Podcast Summary

Episode: Will Page Speed Be Less Important in AI Search?
Release Date: July 29, 2025
Host: Tyson Stockton
Guest: Donna Donahue, Atelier Scientific

Introduction

In this episode of the Voices of Search podcast, host Tyson Stockton delves into the evolving landscape of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The primary focus revolves around the pivotal question: Will page speed be less important in AI search? Joined by SEO expert Donna Donahue from Atelier Scientific, the discussion navigates through the nuances of page speed, content quality, and their interplay with AI-driven search algorithms.

Lightning Round: Buy or Sell on Page Speed's Future

The episode kicks off with a lightning round, presenting a series of bite-sized questions to gauge expert opinions on trending SEO topics.

Donna Donahue: "Are you buying or selling that Page speed will be less important in the age of AI search?"
Unknown Expert: "I'm going to do neither. I'm going to take out a loan... I think page loads feed is always going to be important... content is king." (01:13)

The expert emphasizes a balanced approach, suggesting that neither buying nor selling page speed is the answer. Instead, maintaining optimal page speed remains crucial alongside prioritizing high-quality content.

The Enduring Importance of Page Speed in AI Search

Transitioning from the lightning round, the conversation delves deeper into the significance of page speed in the context of AI-driven search mechanisms.

Unknown Expert: "I think though that it's just really hard to keep up with Google's criteria about page load speed because a lot of their stuff that a lot of what slows our site down are Google's properties... So it is important. I would just say that the best technical website in the entire world is not going to overcome bad content." (04:38)

This insight highlights the challenges of optimizing page speed amidst Google's evolving technical requirements. The expert points out that technical excellence in page speed cannot compensate for poor content quality, reinforcing the adage that "content is king."

Balancing Technical SEO and Content Quality

Donna Donahue: "Page speed is important once even if you're getting less users to your site, like that experience of once they get there is going to be super critical." (02:24)

Donna underscores the dual importance of attracting users through swift page loads and retaining them with a seamless user experience. She references studies linking page speed to conversion rates, suggesting that even in an era where AI might scrape content, the initial user experience remains paramount.

Content as the Cornerstone of SEO

The discussion pivots to the central role of content in SEO strategies.

Unknown Expert: "It's just really hard to keep up with Google's criteria about page load speed... if you have bad content, page can load at 98% performance and it's not going to get found. So who cares if your page is loading up like lightning fast? Nobody's looking for it." (06:23)

Reiterating the earlier sentiments, the expert makes a compelling case that without quality content, technical optimizations like page speed become moot. This perspective reinforces the necessity of a balanced SEO approach that doesn't disproportionately favor technical metrics over substantive content quality.

Key Takeaways

• Page Speed Remains Crucial: Despite advancements in AI search algorithms, page speed continues to play a significant role in user experience and SEO performance.
• Content is Paramount: High-quality, relevant content remains the cornerstone of effective SEO. Without it, technical optimizations fail to deliver meaningful results.
• Technical Challenges Persist: Optimizing page speed is increasingly complex due to layers of third-party integrations and evolving search engine criteria.
• User Experience is Multifaceted: Balancing swift page loads with engaging content ensures both attraction and retention of site visitors.

Conclusion

In this insightful episode, Donna Donahue and the guest expert articulate a nuanced view of SEO in the AI era. While acknowledging the unchanging importance of page speed, they collectively advocate for a content-centric approach to SEO. As AI continues to reshape search dynamics, the synergy between technical excellence and content quality will remain pivotal for organic growth and visibility.

For more in-depth discussions and actionable SEO strategies, subscribe to the Voices of Search podcast and stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of search engine optimization.

Transcript

[Tyson Stockton]

The Voices of Search Podcast is a proud member of the I Hear Everything Podcast Network. Looking to launch or scale your podcast, I Hear Everything delivers podcast production, growth and monetization solutions that transform your words into profit. Ready to give your brand a voice then visit iheareverything.com welcome to the Voices of Search Podcast. A member of the I Hear Everything Podcast network, ready to expedite your company's organic growth efforts. Sit back, relax, and get ready for your daily dose of search engine optimization wisdom. Here's today's host of the Voices of Search podcast, Tyson Stockton.

[Donna Donahue]

And with that, it's going to bring us to our lightning round. Okay, so this is our shorter form. I'm going to throw a series of questions at you and these are going to be, you know, a little more bite size, but they're going to have a theme to them. And so the first one I'm going to throw at you is going to be buy or sell. Are you buying or selling that? Page speed will be less important in the age of AI search?

[Unknown Expert]

I'm going to do neither. I'm going to take out a loan. I'm not going to buy or sell. I'm going to hold on to it. Just like, you know, don't gamble money that you can't afford to lose. Because I think that page loads feed is always going to be important, but I think that one thing that will never go away is the fact that content is king. So I think page loads feed is going to be important because of course the AI scrapers have to go and find the content and if they're having a hard time getting through your site because it serves up a bunch of 505s and 404s and, or not 505s, 503s and things like that, I think that it's going to be important, but that's what I'm going to hold off for right now. Right now, page load is probably still more important, but we'll wait and see what happens in the future because I don't know where this world of AI is going to take us. And it's not going away, I can tell you that much. So either put up or shut up, I guess. Adapt or die.

[Donna Donahue]

And I like, I like the creativity on it, going off script with the loan. And for me it's an interesting question too because it's like end of the day user experience. Page speed is important once even if you're getting less users to your site, like that experience of once they get there is going to be super critical. We've seen all the studies of how page speed can impact conversion rates, but then you can kind of go out on that limb from a thought experience as far as well with ChatGPT, if it's just extracting and training from your content, it doesn't really rely on that speed. But then in which you also play into how much does that impact the crawlers that would be addressing it.

[Unknown Sponsor]

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[Unknown Expert]

I think though that it's just really hard to keep up with Google's criteria about page load speed because a lot of their stuff that a lot of what slows our site down are Google's properties. So when I go through like a lighthouse report for a quick down and dirty, it's like this page is not converting and it's, it's spot on for on page content. It's like well there's got to be something wrong with it technically. So you go and look at page load speed and go into search console and then it's Google's tags that are slowing it down. It's like remove third party tags and it's like Google Ads Google Tag Manager GA4 and it's like well I can't get rid of those because I have to have them yet. That's what's causing the page to slow down. Of course there's some unused JavaScript and stuff like that and you can fix that. So it is important. I would just say that the best technical website in the entire world is not going to overcome bad content. So you can have good. You can tell I'm an on page person, I really excel at on page SEO. But it's like if you have bad content, page can load at 98% performance and it's not going to get found. So who cares? Who cares if your page is loading up like lightning fast? Nobody's looking for it.

[Donna Donahue]

Absolutely. Well, that's going to wrap up this episode of the Voice of Search podcast. Thanks again to Donna Donahue from Atelier Scientific for joining us. If you'd like to contact Donna, you can find a link to her LinkedIn profile in her show notes or for more information on Atelier Scientific, you can find [e-mail] if you haven't subscribed yet and you want a daily stream of SEO and content marketing knowledge in your podcast feed, hit that subscribe button on your podcast app or on YouTube and we'll be back in your feed in the following days. All right, that's all for today. Thanks for stopping by Voice of Search, and we'll see you in the next episode.