What does Google say about SEO?

Does Google Search Console really show impression fluctuations in real time?

Martin Splitt Oct 18, 2022 ★★

Google Search Console allows you to visualize relatively quickly the changes in impressions (impression share) following technical modifications on your site, making it a valuable tool for validating the effectiveness of SEO corrections.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Search Console

Can you test the Googlebot user-agent directly in Chrome without third-party extensions?

Martin Splitt Oct 18, 2022 ★★

Chrome's native developer tools now allow you to modify the user-agent directly without external plugins. This feature is useful for testing how Google and other bots see your site.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO

Should You Still Ping Google When Updating an XML Sitemap?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller explained, again on Twitter, that it could speed things up to "ping" Google when an XML Sitemap file was modified. This will accelerate its processing by the search engine's robots.

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

Is the URL inspection tool really the best way to verify if your pages are indexed?

Alan Kent Oct 17, 2022 ★★★

Google Search Console offers a URL inspection tool that allows you to check whether a specific web page is indexed by Google or not. This tool is the official way to monitor the indexation status of your pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Domain Name Search Console

Can the URL inspection tool really uncover all your indexation problems?

Alan Kent Oct 17, 2022 ★★★

The URL inspection tool in Search Console can indicate why a page isn't being indexed, notably by identifying technical site issues such as blockage by the robots.txt file.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name PDF & Files Search Console

Is Search Console really the only reliable channel to monitor your SEO performance?

Alan Kent Oct 17, 2022 ★★★

Google Search Console is the primary way Google communicates to site owners the performance and status of their website in search results.

AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

How does Google handle unauthorized duplicate content?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

For copied or plagiarized content, Google does not automatically detect whether it is unauthorized copying. A DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) request must be submitted to report a copyright infringement. Google cannot automatically determine ...

Content

When should you really update the lastmod attribute in your sitemaps?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

The lastmod tag in the XML sitemap should primarily be updated when there are changes to the main content or the structure of the site, not for simple changes in common template elements (menu, footer). There is no strict rule, but the objective is t...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files Search Console

How does Google really handle duplicate content in search results?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

Google detects duplicate content but does not automatically label it as 'copycat sites'. The algorithm simply identifies duplication, selects a canonical version, and may not display the others in the results. It does not make any judgments about the...

Algorithms Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Local Search

Is it possible that Crawl Stats reveals an unseen MFI migration in Search Console?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

If Search Console is still showing Googlebot Desktop as the main crawler but crawl statistics indicate more mobile crawls, the site has likely already migrated to Mobile-First Indexing. It is recommended to send feedback via Search Console to report ...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Local Search Redirects Search Console

Are Intrusive Interstitials Now a Threat to Your Desktop SEO?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

The policy against intrusive interstitials, initially limited to mobile, has now been extended to desktop versions since 2022. Interstitials with countdowns that prevent users from closing the window are particularly problematic and can affect your r...

AI & SEO Mobile SEO

What SEO risks do interstitials pose according to Google?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

According to Better Ads Standards, post-click interstitials with countdown timers are banned on desktop. On mobile, all full-screen interstitials are problematic, even if they can be closed. Implementation must prioritize user experience over SEO con...

Mobile SEO

Should you really worry about how automatic ads affect CLS for SEO?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

Automatic AdSense ads that generate an impact on the Core Web Vitals score (CLS) are unlikely to have a significant effect on ranking in search results. There is no need to be overly concerned about this metric if it originates from automatic ads.

Web Performance

What are the risks of altering your AdSense code, even for optimization?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

It is strictly forbidden to modify the source code of AdSense ads beyond the allowed cases, even to resolve display or performance issues. This constitutes a violation of policies that can lead to sanctions.

Domain Age & History Web Performance Search Console

Should you be worried about penalties when combining AdSense and affiliate links?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

Using AdSense alongside affiliate links (AFF) or other ad networks is not a violation of policies by itself. However, the balance between content and advertising must remain appropriate. A site with too much advertising and little unique content may ...

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Should you really update the sitemap lastmod for every type of change?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

The lastmod date in the XML sitemap should be updated when there are changes to the main content or structure of the site, not for changes to common areas like the menu or footer. There's no strict rule, but the objective is to indicate when the cont...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files Search Console

Does duplicate content really hurt your SEO?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

Google does not penalize sites for duplicate content. The algorithm detects duplication between pages and selects one to display as canonical in the results, hiding the others. There is no concept of a 'copied content penalty.'

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Local Search

Why is the DMCA essential for managing duplicate content?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

Google cannot automatically determine whether copied content constitutes a copyright violation or is the result of a contractual agreement. To report copied content without authorization, a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) request must be used...

Algorithms Content

Is your site missing out on the Mobile-First Index?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

If a site seems eligible for Mobile-First Indexing but Search Console still shows Googlebot Desktop as the primary crawler, it’s important to send detailed feedback through Search Console, preferably in English, with crawl statistics indicating mobil...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Local Search Redirects Search Console

Are Intrusive Interstitials Still a Threat to Your SEO?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

Intrusive interstitials can impact rankings on both desktop and mobile. The policy hasn’t changed: interstitials with mandatory countdown timers are problematic. On mobile, all full-screen interstitials are discouraged, even with a close button. On d...

Mobile SEO