SEO Glossary: Google Lighthouse

What is Google Lighthouse?

Google Lighthouse is great for creating performance audits for one or more websites. At that time, the actual background was to use Lighthouse for Progressive Web Apps. But now, since version 2.0, it is also suitable for SEO and performance analyses.

 

Now version 3.0 is also available and has received a new design. In addition, developers can now also use Google Lighthouse as a framework. Among other things, it is integrated into the Google Chrome Internet browser.

 

 

What audits does Google Lighthouse offer?

 

Google Lighthouse is suitable for 5 areas:

 

• Best Practices
• Performance
• SEO
• Accessibility
• Progressive Web Apps

 

If developers wish to order one or more audits, they can selectively enable or disable the respective areas mentioned above. Accordingly, a suitable analysis report is created.

 

In the following, we will take a closer look at all areas of Google Lighthouse:

 

Best Practices

 

• Best practices are mainly about the security of a website and web development

 

• If the connection of a website is encrypted via https encryptedIf the connection of a website is encrypted via https, included resources originate from secure sources and are JavaScript-libraries secure? These and other best practices are reviewed.

 

• In addition, Google Lighthouse checks whether, for example, a secure connection is established to databases

 

 

Performance

 

• Performance is an important part of creating a positive user experience. For this reason, Performance checks whether a website or app loads reasonably quickly. The tool checks various areas such as "First Contentful Paint".

 

• At the same time, Lighthouse provides suggestions for improving the performance of a website or app. These include correct caching, compression of files and avoidance of redirects.

 

 

SEO

 

• Google Lighthouse checks during SEO how well a website or app is being used by BOTS can be crawled. The result is represented by a score. If this is rather sobering, developers and operators should do their homework and implement SEO measures.

 

• Currently, there are 13 audits in the SEO area, which are spread over various categories. For example, correct Titles, meta descriptions and use of structured data.

 

 

Accessibility

 

• Google is all about presenting helpful content to people with disabilities. Accessibility revolves around checking websites and apps for such content.

 

• Are individual elements such as links or buttons sufficiently and alternatively described? Do images have alt tags? The audit provides information about this!

 

 

Progressive Web Apps

 

• This audit area was the origin of Google Lighthouse, this is where it all started. This is where Progressive Web Apps (WPAs) are put through their paces.

 

• Can all content also be retrieved offline? Are there no error messages during retrieval? There are a total of 5 categories to choose from.

 

 

Where is Google Lighthouse usable?/h2>

An excellent option to use Google Lighthouse is the Chrome extension. Developers can install it for free in the Google Chrome internet browser.

 

Immediately after installation, the website to be tested is called up and the extension's test button is clicked. Afterwards, website operators and developers receive a detailed test report.