Real User Metrics, the key to a high-performance website

Through our SEO Agency Optimize 360

Optimising the performance of a website requires a good understanding of real user behaviour.

The Real User Metrics (RUM)also known as Real User Monitoring, offer this possibility by measuring and analysing users' interactions with the site.

Find out everything you need to know about RUMs to better understand and optimise your online presence.

1. What are Real User Metrics?

Real User Metrics are data collected from the actual browsing sessions of users of a website. They are used to determine the overall performance of a site, as well as theuser experience provided. Key RUM indicators include page load times, errors encountered and the rate of conversion.

2. Difference between RUM and Synthetic Monitoring

Le Synthetic Monitoringalso known as synthetic monitoring or passive monitoring, is another method of measuring website performance. It uses programmed robots to simulate user behaviour and perform specific tasks on the site. Unlike RUMs, which are based on real user sessions, Synthetic Monitoring offers more uniform results because it eliminates variations in behaviour or equipment specific to each user.

Advantages of the RUM :

- Measurements based on actual user sessions
- Enables problems specific to different environments (browsers, devices, etc.) to be detected and corrected
- Results more representative of the overall user experience

Advantages of Synthetic Monitoring :

- More uniform and comparable results over time
- Enables continuous monitoring of site availability and performance
- Ideal for testing new functions before they go online

3. The different data measured by RUMs

Real User Metrics bring together several types of data to evaluate the performance of a website and the user experience it offers:

Page load times : Measures the speed with which elements of a page are displayed on screen
Bounce rate : Indicator of the percentage of users who leave the site after viewing a single page
Conversion rate : Rate of visitors who have carried out a desired action on the site (purchase, registration, etc.)
Errors encountered: List of technical errors (pages not found, server problems, etc.) encountered by Internet users

4. The importance of SEO performance

The performance of a website is a key factor in its online success. Pages that load quickly and without errors are likely to generate a better user experience, which often translates into a higher conversion rate. What's more, the speed with which a site loads is also taken into account by search engines such as Google when ranking results.

5. How can you optimise your site's performance?

Here are a few ways of improving your pages to make them faster and more pleasant to use:

Reducing file size : Compress your site's images and source code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to reduce download times
Caching : Use browser caching to avoid loading the same resources several times
Use a CDN : Use a Content Delivery Network to distribute files to Internet users from servers close to their geographical location.
Optimising progressive display : Prioritise the display of elements visible on the screen (text, images) so that users can read and interact with the page while the rest of the resources load in the background.

6. Tools for measuring RUMs

To collect and analyse Real User Metrics data, you can use dedicated tools such as :

Google Analytics : Enables you to monitor your site's overall statistics (traffic, performance, conversions, etc.).
New Relic: Offers more advanced features for analysing performance and user experience
Keynote or Pingdom: Offer a combination of RUM and Synthetic Monitoring to measure performance in real time and quickly detect any problems.

7. Traffic development measures

Real User Metrics data is essential for tracking changes in traffic to your website and identifying any trends or opportunities. By comparing the results obtained over different periods, it's possible to determine whether your actions to improve SEO have been successful, and also to adjust your marketing strategy in line with your customers' needs and expectations. audience.

8. Competitive analysis

Comparing the performance of your site with that of your competitors can be very instructive. Thanks to the RUMs, it is possible to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each, and thus identify areas for improvement tailored to your own site. This involves studying key indicators (loading time, bounce rate, conversion rate) as well as analysing the content offered and the techniques used to optimise their natural referencing.

9. Interest for advertisers

Real User Metrics data is also highly sought-after by advertisers, who want to know precisely the profile and behaviour of Internet users visiting their site or that of their competitors. RUMs offer an effective way of assessing the relevance and impact of different online advertising campaigns.

10. In conclusion...

Optimising the performance of your website is essential if you want to ensure its success online. This involves studying and analysing Real User Metrics, which give a precise and detailed view of the actual user experience. By working on these different aspects (loading time, bounce rate, conversion rate, etc.), you can significantly improve the quality of your online offering and its visibility in search engines.