Does Google Use SEO Scores From Third-Party Tools?

In an episode of AskGoogleBot, someone asked – “Do I have to worry about scores from SEO tools?” John Mueller answered this and stated that Google does not use scores from third-party SEO tools or services – it does not matter whether it’s about a website’s authority or a rating about how spammy a site […]
Marie Aquino
August 17, 2023

In an episode of AskGoogleBot, someone asked – “Do I have to worry about scores from SEO tools?” John Mueller answered this and stated that Google does not use scores from third-party SEO tools or services – it does not matter whether it’s about a website’s authority or a rating about how spammy a site is. Google simply does not use these scores at all.

However, while some of these scores are useless, this does not mean all of them are. Transparently calculated scores by these tools and services can be useful to estimate a site’s standing or to point out actual issues on the site. These could help with the next steps and issues that needs to be addressed, or even qualify the work that has been done on the site. Knowing how these scores have come to be is critical in determining whether it makes sense for you and how it could benefit you.

As an example from Google, Chrome’s Lighthouse tool creates scores. While Google does not use these scores for search, the score is transparently created based on various tests that can be looked at. With the score provided, it is possible to estimate how well your website performs on those test and help you be able to spot issues which might be noticed by users or search engines, themselves.

Check out the episode below: