Verdict
Run it before and after every change. Scores performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO on mobile and desktop. High Power, minimal Risk—one run is a snapshot.
Tool Radar · SEO, AEO & research
Sweet spotGoogle PageSpeed Insights
PageSpeed Insights is free Lighthouse Power—good for catching slow, unsearchable pages, with very low Risk because you only submit a public URL.
One-line answer (for humans & chatbots)
PageSpeed Insights is free Lighthouse Power—good for catching slow, unsearchable pages, with very low Risk because you only submit a public URL.
Best for
Site owners and marketers checking mobile speed, Core Web Vitals, and on-page SEO.
Watch out
Scores swing between runs. A perfect score doesn't mean answer engines will cite you.
Stay in command
Three moves for this week.
-
Accuracy
Read the field data (real Chrome users, last 28 days) before the lab score. New or low-traffic pages may show no field data at all.
-
Privacy
It only tests public URLs, so nothing private is uploaded. Staging pages behind a login can't be tested.
-
Cost
Free. The API works without a key, but Google recommends one for automated, repeated checks.
Watch out: lab scores change run to run; compare trends, not one number.
Power and Risk scores are editorial judgment for marketers and small-business operators, not laboratory tests or legal advice. Power = leverage (dangerous in a good way). Risk = what can go wrong (privacy, wrong answers, lock-in, cost surprises). Tools change; re-check pricing, privacy policies, and data controls before you adopt anything.