Choose a person who has not worked on the site and give them one realistic task, such as “find the current contact information” or “compare the three listed providers.” Observe without coaching. Record how long it takes, where they hesitate, which labels they misunderstand, and whether they reach the correct destination. Do not treat one participant as statistical proof; use the walkthrough to discover issues worth checking more broadly.
Repeat with a mobile visitor path and one different task. Include the homepage, a representative article, a category page, and any form or tool needed to complete the task. Ask the participant to describe what they expect before tapping a control. This can uncover a link whose label sounds like a download but opens a sign-up form.
Google recommends clear navigation and unique, relevant content in its AdSense readiness guide. Its rejection help describes navigation issues including broken links and excessive pop-ups. A timed walkthrough helps you find concrete examples, but it is not a substitute for Google’s review or a formal usability study.
Example finding: “Participant expected ‘Start scan’ to open a tool but it went to a pricing page; two of two testers stopped.” The fix may be a more accurate label or a direct route to the tool. Retest the same task and record whether the expectation now matches the outcome.
Use SiteReadyScore alongside the walkthrough: scan to find candidate URLs, then watch a real visitor use them. The scan and participant evidence answer different questions; label each clearly in your case study.