A longtime advocate for a faster Web, Google has just made performance testing significantly easier for website owners.

Previously available as a browser add-on, Google’s new release dramatically simplifies the process of measuring website speeds. Upon entering any URL on the Page Speed Online website, business website owners receive instant analysis and feedback.

Page Speed Online uses a webkit-based tool to time the elements of a site and returns a score from 0-100. The site also offers prioritized suggestions for improving a website’s overall performance.

The advantages of increasing the performance for any business are many, including higher conversion rates, better search rankings and lower abandonment rates, to name a few. With Google having publicly stated the importance of page speeds to its recently updated search algorithm, this is a tool well worth taking advantage of.

Other services for testing website page speeds include Yahoo’s YSlow and Torbit’s WebPageTest.