What does Google say about SEO?

Do you really need multiple crawl tools to diagnose your SEO problems effectively?

Crystal Carter Nov 29, 2022 ★★

It's important to use multiple crawl tools to diagnose an SEO problem because each tool has different criteria and limitations. If all tools flag the same issue, that's strong validation.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why should you detect technical errors before Google finds them for you?

Crystal Carter Nov 29, 2022 ★★

Monitoring tools can alert you immediately when new 301s, 500 errors, or other technical problems arise. It is preferable to detect and correct these issues before Google discovers them.

Content AI & SEO Redirects

Are Browser Developer Tools Really Enough to Audit Your SEO Redirects?

Martin Splitt Nov 29, 2022 ★★

The Network tab in Developer Tools built into your browser lets you see all HTTP status codes (301, 200, 404, etc.) and identify redirect chains without requiring paid tools.

HTTPS & Security Pagination & Structure Redirects

Could Google Really Be Spammed From Its Earliest Days?

Matt Cutts Nov 28, 2022 ★★★

An amusing anecdote from Google's early days recently resurfaced on Hacker News, where Matt Cutts, former head of Google's webspam team, recounts how he had to battle with the two co-founders, Sergey Brin and Larry Page, to convince them that it was ...

Algorithms Domain Age & History Discover & News AI & SEO Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam

Should You Worry About Google's Latest Mobile First Index Migration?

John Mueller Nov 28, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller announced on Twitter that a final batch of websites still listed in Search Console as being crawled by the Googlebot for desktop would be moved to the Mobile First Index and therefore see their default robot become Googlebot for smartpho...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Social Media Search Console

Should You Change the Author Name When Updating an Article?

John Mueller Nov 22, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Mastodon (for a change from Twitter) that if an article's author name changes, it would be interesting to mention the previous author in addition to the current one, but that you should not randomly change the author name fo...

Domain Age & History Content Discover & News AI & SEO Social Media

Does a 302 redirect really cause you to lose PageRank compared to a 301?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

A 301 redirect is permanent and transfers SEO signals (PageRank, canonicalization) to the new URL. A 302 is temporary and preserves signals on the original URL. Choosing one type does not cause signal loss; the signals are simply attributed to either...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Redirects

Are 307 and 308 redirects really pointless for classic SEO?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★

HTTP codes 307 and 308 also transfer POST requests, unlike 301 and 302 which only transfer GET requests. Useful for APIs but with no direct SEO impact since APIs are generally not indexed.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Redirects

Should you really ditch meta refresh redirects, or does Google actually handle them just fine?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★

Google treats meta refresh (HTML tag with refresh timing) as redirects during page rendering. However, they are discouraged for accessibility reasons and considered a workaround solution.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Redirects

Does Google really follow JavaScript redirects the same way as server-side redirects?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

JavaScript redirects are detected and followed by Google during page rendering. They constitute a valid alternative when you don't have access to server configuration.

Domain Age & History Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO Redirects

Do you really need to redirect every single URL individually during a domain migration?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

To migrate a domain, you must redirect all pages one by one (1:1 mapping) to the new domain. This allows you to transfer the signals and trust associated with the old URLs to the new ones.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Are geographic redirects really preventing your European content from being indexed?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

Forced redirects based on geolocation can prevent indexation because Googlebot primarily crawls from the United States for Europe. If content is inaccessible from the US, it won't be indexed.

Content Crawl & Indexing Local Search Redirects International SEO

Are geographic redirects killing your crawl budget? Here's what Google recommends instead

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★

Instead of forced geographic redirects, use banners or menus that allow users to change countries. This prevents Googlebot from being blocked while still informing users about regional restrictions.

Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos Pagination & Structure Redirects

Are interstitials with redirects really blocking Googlebot from indexing your content?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

Interstitials (age verification, country verification) implemented as redirects block Googlebot, which cannot fill out forms. Using a CSS div overlay on top of the content instead allows Google to see the underlying content.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Redirects

Should you really be using 302 redirects between mobile and desktop versions?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★

For redirects between mobile and desktop versions of a website, use 302 redirects (temporary) because the appropriate version depends on the user's device on each visit.

AI & SEO Mobile SEO Redirects

Why do domain mergers and divisions trigger extended SEO ranking swings?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

During domain mergers or divisions, Google must reevaluate page importance and internal linking structure, which leads to long-term ranking fluctuations. These changes are more complex than a simple domain migration.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Do you really need bidirectional redirects between mobile and desktop versions to avoid indexing issues?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★★

For sites with separate mobile and desktop versions, you must implement redirects in both directions: mobile to m.domain.com AND desktop to www.domain.com. Without this, Google assumes everything is on the mobile version.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Domain Name Redirects

Why does the URL Inspection Tool show a 200 status code even after a redirect?

John Mueller Nov 17, 2022 ★★

The URL Inspection Tool in Search Console displays a 200 status code for the final URL after redirect, because it shows what will be indexed. It automatically follows HTTP and JavaScript redirects to display the destination page.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Local Search Redirects Search Console

Does Googlebot actually store cookies when crawling your website?

Martin Splitt Nov 15, 2022 ★★★

Googlebot does not store cookies when crawling websites. Any pagination functionality or content that depends on cookies will not be accessible to Googlebot in the same way it is to normal users in a browser.

Content Crawl & Indexing Pagination & Structure

Why do search engine crawlers systematically ignore your cookies?

Roxana Stingu Nov 15, 2022 ★★★

Bots in general don't store cookies, not just Googlebot. This means any content or functionality depending on cookies will be invisible or different for all search engine crawlers.

Content Crawl & Indexing