Page load time is a frustrating fact for internet users, but it is set to be punishable next year according to hints made my Google’s Matt Cutts. Algorithm changes scheduled for 2010 could include page load time to be taken into account to help high quality sites rank higher than spammy pages.

This is a great reason why you need to move your server closer to your target audience as try to reduce the amount of clutter on your pages. Speed is crucial for the user experience, and it seems it will become increasingly important for the search engines (Google) in the coming months and in 2010.