What does Google say about SEO?

Is dynamic rendering with content parity really risk-free for indexation?

Roxana Stingu Nov 15, 2022 ★★

It is possible to use dynamic rendering by serving server-side content to all bots and client-side content to users, provided that you maintain parity between the two versions to ensure proper indexation.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Does Google's crawler really behave like a standard browser, even with the same user agent?

Martin Splitt Nov 15, 2022 ★★★

There are important differences between crawlers and browsers, even when using the same user agent. Crawlers don't support certain features like cookies, which can create different experiences.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why isn't testing your site with a user agent emulator enough to catch crawl problems?

Roxana Stingu Nov 15, 2022 ★★★

Testing a site with a user agent emulator in a browser isn't enough to detect all problems. The browser retains certain features like cookies that real crawlers don't have.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why is testing your site with a crawler absolutely essential for SEO success?

Roxana Stingu Nov 15, 2022 ★★

It is essential to test with real crawling tools like Screaming Frog in addition to manual tests in the browser to identify rendering differences between bots and users.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why does Google refuse cookie-based pagination systems?

Roxana Stingu Nov 15, 2022 ★★★

Pagination must not depend on cookies to function correctly. Cookie-based pagination systems create inconsistencies for Googlebot and can prevent proper indexation of paginated pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Pagination & Structure

Do cookies really prevent bots from accessing your content?

Roxana Stingu Nov 15, 2022 ★★★

Features that use cookies to store navigation state or search parameters can display completely different content to bots, which don't see the same thing as users.

Content Pagination & Structure Local Search

Are cookie-dependent websites invisible to Googlebot?

Martin Splitt Nov 15, 2022 ★★

Users who disable cookies through privacy plugins will see the same incorrect behavior as Googlebot if the site depends on cookies to display content correctly.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance Local Search

Should You Really Exclude All Duplicate Pages from Your XML Sitemap?

John Mueller Nov 14, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Twitter that having URLs with duplicate content in your XML Sitemap will not create problems in terms of potential ranking for these pages.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name PDF & Files Social Media Search Console

How Should You Really Optimize ALT Attributes for Logos and Buttons?

John Mueller Nov 14, 2022 ★★★

In a Search Off the Record podcast, John Mueller explains that the ALT attribute on a website's logo image (repeated across all pages) should define the site name and where you'll go if you click on it (if the logo is clickable, which is usually the ...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos Links & Backlinks Mobile SEO

Does Creating a Search Console Property Really Improve Your Site's Crawl?

John Mueller Nov 07, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Twitter that creating and verifying/validating a Search Console property for a site has no impact whatsoever on the crawling of that particular site. Google's crawling system operates independently of Search Console.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Social Media Search Console

Does the Visual Size of Hn Tags Actually Influence Google Rankings?

John Mueller Nov 07, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller indicated on Twitter that the size (basically the height, in pixels) of the fonts used for Hn tags (H1 to H6) is not taken into account when analyzing the content of a web page.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Social Media

Should You Still Optimize for Old Speed Metrics or Focus Exclusively on Core Web Vitals?

John Mueller Nov 07, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller confirmed, also on Twitter, that Google no longer uses the old algorithms, used from 2010 to 2018, to measure the performance (display time) of a web page. Now, it's the 'Page Experience' algorithm and specifically the Core Web Vitals th...

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Web Performance Social Media Search Console

Will backlinks really lose their importance in SEO?

John Mueller Nov 03, 2022 ★★★

The weight of backlinks will gradually decrease over time as Google improves its understanding of content in the broader context of the web. Links will remain important for discovering pages, but will no longer be as determining a factor as it is tod...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Does Google really detect link schemes 100% algorithmically without manual intervention?

John Mueller Nov 03, 2022 ★★

The detection and penalization of artificial backlinks are handled algorithmically by Google, not manually.

Algorithms Links & Backlinks

Should you really limit the Organization schema to just your homepage?

Lizzi Sassman Nov 03, 2022 ★★★

The Organization schema should only be placed on your site's homepage. There is no need to duplicate it across all pages, except in special cases like e-commerce platforms with multiple distinct stores.

Domain Age & History Structured Data E-commerce AI & SEO

Can you really add any schema markup without risking your SEO performance?

Lizzi Sassman Nov 03, 2022 ★★

You can add any type of schema markup on web pages — it's open to all. However, it must be relevant to the page in question and compliant with the documentation to benefit from specific features.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Structured Data PDF & Files

Are structured content templates really a game-changer for SEO performance?

Lizzi Sassman Nov 03, 2022 ★★

Content templates (similar H1-H2-H3 structure) can be useful because they create consistency and help users find information. This works well for documentation and reference pages.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files

Does Google really refuse to index your templated content, and why should you care?

Miriam Jessier Nov 03, 2022 ★★

Google does not guarantee indexing of content created from templates, even if it is submitted. If very similar pages are not indexed, you must differentiate key elements such as H1 tags.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Are differentiated H1 tags the secret to indexing your pages with similar templates?

Miriam Jessier Nov 03, 2022 ★★

When pages with similar templates are not being indexed, the first action is to optimize H1 tags to make them meaningful and distinct, so that Google does not perceive the pages as identical.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Does Google really prefer subdomains or subdirectories for SEO? Here's what actually matters

John Mueller Nov 03, 2022 ★★★

Google has no technical preference between subdomains and subdirectories. Quality engineers say do what you want. However, subdirectories are often perceived as being more part of the main site.

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