Smart Traffic SEO Tip #72 – Meet WebP – an Alternative Image format for Faster Web
We all know that Page Speed is already one of over 200 ranking factors in Google. And because of this, Google launched Page speed in Firebug and even provided other tips to make the page load faster. Notice that in every test you’ll do for your site’s speed, aside from javascript and CSS, among the factors responsible in slowing the page are the images. Because of this, Google offers WebP (pronounced as “weppy”).
So what does WebP means? Google defines it as a method of lossy compression for images like JPEG to make them load faster, while still preserving quality and resolution. It is an image format that will reduce the byte size of photos on the web. According to Google, by using WebP, you can:
• Provide a faster user experience on your site.
• Reduce your bandwidth and hosting costs.
• Improve the web!
See for yourself (Images from Google)
JPEG (1175642 bytes)
WebP (864134 bytes)
Note that WebP is not yet supported by browsers, that is why the WebP image above is displayed as PNG graphic.
Also note that as of now, downloading and installing WebP is only supported by Linux x86 (64-bit).
