Stephen BaldwinStephen Baldwin

Google has been using website load performance as a ranking criteria since 2010. And as of May '15, more searches now take place on mobile devices than on desktop computers in 10 nations, including the U.S., according to Google.

So the advantages of having a fast-loading, "mobile-friendly" website are key, especially in a highly competitive industry such as PR.

Which major PR agency websites are fastest on mobile? Which are fastest on desktop? And which sites achieved a perfect (100) score on Google's Mobile Usability test?

See the results below after websites of the top 100 PR firms as ranked by O'Dwyer's were put through Google's PageSpeed Insights tool.

DKC mobile website imageDKC's mobile-friendly website

Top 5 Winners: Mobile Page Speed

1. Blaze PR, 87
2. DKC, 84
3. The Hoffman Agency, 77
4. Allison+Partners, 76
5. Maxwell PR, 75

Top 5 Winners: Desktop Page Speed

1. APCO Worldwide, 98
2. DKC, 94
3. The Hoffman Agency, 90
4.
SSPR, 87
5. Maxwell PR, 85

Agency sites achieving a 100 (perfect) score on Google's Mobile User Experience Test:

1. DKC
2. GYMR Public Relations
3.
Jarrard Inc.
4.
WE
5. Allison+Partners
6. Cashman+Katz
7. Cooney/Waters Unlimited
8. Gregory FCA
9. Horn Group
10. IW Group
11. O'Malley Hansen
12. SparkPR
13. ReviveHealth
14. W2O Group
15. Fahlgen Mortine

Life in the Fast Lane

In many cases, installing a caching plugin can improve website performance, such as W3 Super Cache for WordPress. A CDN (Content Delivery Network) can speed things up too or try installing software that can minimize ("minify") site images and other resources.

Test out your own website here:
https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/

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Stephen Baldwin is Editor-in-Chief at Didit Communications.