How to Use Google Lighthouse to Check SEO for a Website
Google Lighthouse is a handy tool for assessing various aspects of a website, including its SEO performance. Follow these steps to get started:
1. Open the Website You Want to Analyse
Navigate to the website you want to evaluate for SEO performance.
2. Open Developer Tools
- Right-click anywhere on the webpage.
- Select Inspect from the context menu.
(The Developer Tools interface may appear on the right-hand side or at the bottom of your screen, depending on your settings.)
3. Access Lighthouse
- In the Developer Tools window, locate the top menu bar.
- Click on the Lighthouse tab.
4. Configure Lighthouse Settings
- Select the SEO category.
(You can choose other categories like Performance or Accessibility if needed, but for this guide, we’ll focus on SEO.) - Choose the Desktop option for the analysis type.
- Click Analyse Page Load to start the test.
5. Wait for the Analysis to Complete
- Lighthouse will analyse the page and generate a report.
(Tip: For the most accurate results, use an Incognito tab to avoid interference from browser extensions or cached data.)
6. Review the Results
- The report provides an SEO score out of 100.
- It lists areas that have passed checks and highlights areas needing improvement.
- While not 100% comprehensive, it offers valuable insights into the SEO health of your webpage.
By following these steps, you can quickly assess and improve your website’s SEO performance using Google Lighthouse.