Google Freshens Up PageSpeed Tool with New Updates

Hey there tech enthusiasts! Here’s something exciting in the web development world that you should know about. Google has rolled out some fresh updates to its PageSpeed Insights tool. This is essentially a tool that helps website owners understand how well their site is performing. And guess what? It just got a bunch of cool new features, thanks to the new version of Lighthouse, which is an open-source tool that assists in pinpointing website performance issues.

Let’s dive into the specifics of this update, which happened on August 28th. But don’t worry, we’ll keep it simple and easy to understand!

What’s New with Lighthouse 11?

Google has introduced a number of changes that make the tool even better. Here are some of the notable updates:

• Better Accessibility: There are new checks in place to ensure websites are user-friendly and can be easily navigated by everyone, including individuals using assistive technologies.
• Score Tweaks: They’ve tweaked the way some best practices are scored, making the evaluation more precise.
• Bug Fixes: Some bugs were fixed, including a notable one concerning the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which helps measure how quickly a page loads.

New Metric on the Block – Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

There’s a fresh metric in town, called the Interaction to Next Paint (INP). This cool new feature helps gauge the interactivity of an entire webpage. Initially, it was just an experimental metric, but Google decided it was too good to leave in the lab. So, as of May, it’s officially in line to become a core web vital by 2024.

Focus on Accessibility

Now, let’s chat a bit about website accessibility. Although it’s not currently a ranking factor, it’s a good practice to have a website that functions well for a wide range of people. It’s not only great for society but also beneficial for business.

Lighthouse 11 has brought in 13 new checks to help ensure websites are more accessible. For instance, one check helps in identifying redundant alternative text for images, making the browsing experience smoother for those using screen readers.

In Conclusion

These updates, brought to you by Google’s latest version of Lighthouse, hint at even bigger and better changes in store for 2024. These improvements make sure that website owners have all the necessary tools at their fingertips to enhance website performance and user experience.

Stay tuned for more updates, and don’t forget to check out the official announcements to learn even more about these exciting changes!

That’s it, folks! We hope you found this piece informative. Keep an eye on this space for more tech news simplified!