Google has launched a new tool that measures many aspects of a website, including how well it follows SEO best practices.
The new tool is currently in open beta and available at web.dev.
Web.dev is designed to help developers and site owners apply modern web capabilities by providing analysis and recommendations.
Google says this tool is the culmination of 10+ years learning about user needs.
“As the bar for high-quality experience continues to rise, users are quickly disappointed in a web experience that doesn’t deliver. And then they’re gone.
We believe, however, the web now has the capabilities to overcome that challenge—to give all users the best possible experience wherever they are.”
In an effort to help site owners provide the best possible experience for users, web.dev has audits for SEO, performance, accessibility, and more.
The tool looks for:
- Performance: Audits for metrics like first paint and time to interactive to determine lag.
- PWA: Assesses your page against the baseline Progressive Web App Checklist.
- Best Practices: Looks for everything from HTTPS usage to correct image aspect ratios.
- SEO: Checks for best practices to ensure your site is discoverable.
- Accessibility: Checks for common issues that may prevent users from accessing your content.
Any site can be measured simply by entering the URL. Here’s what it looks like after measuring Search Engine Journal:
Beneath the section pictured in this example is a list of recommended improvements.
Recommendations are listed in the order of how great an impact they will have on the site. This takes the guesswork out of deciding what to prioritize.
A detailed report can also be downloaded which provides further guidance on how the site can be improved in each area.
Reports are generated on a daily basis. So if the recommendations are implemented immediately, it may not be reflected in the report until the next day.
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