What's the SEO relevance to above/below the fold content?
A web development client of mine has a WordPress site with a theme that has what is a very normal and popular look these days: the top of the Home page has the company logo and the site's main menu; underneath this is a full-width image slider; and below the image slider is where the textual content begins.
A buddy of mine who's a web marketing guy maintains that websites of this type, with textual content only appearing "below the fold," are hurting themselves in terms of SEO. But I have trouble accepting that this is the case, when most attractive and professional-looking sites these days have that very look.
In 2017, are web pages with images above the fold and text essentially only beginning below the fold really at a disadvantage in search engine results pages placement? Or has the "above the fold / below the fold" concept become irrelevant by now?
A buddy of mine who's a web marketing guy maintains that websites of this type, with textual content only appearing "below the fold," are hurting themselves in terms of SEO. But I have trouble accepting that this is the case, when most attractive and professional-looking sites these days have that very look.
In 2017, are web pages with images above the fold and text essentially only beginning below the fold really at a disadvantage in search engine results pages placement? Or has the "above the fold / below the fold" concept become irrelevant by now?
ASKER
Malmensa, you're talking mainly, it seems, about page load speed. But I'm specifically asking about above and below the fold content (which I think but am not certain that you've addressed in your last two sentences). Are you saying you think that's not relevant, and that you would go ahead and place engaging content - such as an image slider - above the text?
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Here are a few more links with discussion about "the fold". After reading these, you will probably be even more confused, but anything to do with SEO and behaviour of web page users is confusing.
http://boxesandarrows.com/blasting-the-myth-of-the-fold/
http://iampaddy.com/lifebelow600/
http://boxesandarrows.com/blasting-the-myth-of-the-fold/
http://iampaddy.com/lifebelow600/
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ASKER
Thanks to both of you for weighing in on this!
The exact algorithm used by Google is profoundly complex, secret, and changes from day to day. No one really knows exactly how it works; anyone who claims otherwise is best avoided. I have done some SEO for a couple of companies, in my experience, speed seems to make negligible difference, unless your site is really slow. I doubt that you this sort of minor flaw would be significant. I would certainly prioritise engaging content and useability over minor technical imperfections such as this one.