What we check
The tool reads every page of your site, up to 50, and checks each one the way a search engine's first visit does. Each problem comes with how to fix it, and the report groups the problems and ranks them: fix now, should fix, nice to have.
On every page
- Does the page load, and does it load over https with no insecure pictures or scripts?
- How fast does the server answer, and how heavy is the page?
- Is there a title of the right length, and a description that reads well in a Google result?
- Is there one clear main heading, with the rest in sensible order?
- Does the page say which address is the real one, and is it allowed in search results?
- Does it work on a phone, with an icon and the right language?
- Do shared links show a title, a description and a picture?
- Can Google read your business, product or questions as structured data?
- Do pictures have words for people who cannot see them?
- Is there enough real text on the page, or is it drawn by scripts in the browser?
The whole site
- Does robots.txt exist, and does it point at the sitemap without blocking the site?
- Does the sitemap exist and list the pages that should rank?
- Do several pages share the same title or description?
- Are there links that lead nowhere, on your site or to other sites?
- Does http:// redirect to https://, and do www and non-www agree on one address?
- How fast is the home page on a phone and a desktop, measured by Google?
For local businesses
Is your phone number on the site, and is it a tap-to-call link? Are your address and opening hours there, and do they match what Google is told? Is there LocalBusiness data, and is it complete: name, address, phone, hours, website, picture? The report adds a "Your business on the web" table and a Google Business Profile checklist to tick off while signed in.
What it cannot see
The check reads how a site is built, without running scripts. Sites drawn mostly by scripts in the browser are checked only in part, and the report says so. On its own it cannot tell you keyword rankings, search volume or who links to you. With read-only access to your Google Search Console it adds the real searches, clicks and positions for your site.