What does Google say about SEO?

What impact do Better Ads Standards have on your SEO interstitials?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

Google follows the Better Ads Standards to evaluate interstitials. Countdown post-interstitials are prohibited on desktop. Implementation must prioritize users above all, not just search engines.

AI & SEO

Is it risky to modify AdSense code?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★★

It is strictly forbidden to modify the source code of AdSense ads beyond authorized cases, even to resolve display issues. This constitutes a policy violation.

Domain Age & History

Do Google’s auto ads really harm your SEO through CLS?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

A decline in the Core Web Vitals CLS score caused by AdSense auto ads is unlikely to have a significant effect on rankings in natural search results. There’s no need to overly worry about it.

AI & SEO Web Performance

Is it true that AdSense and affiliate marketing can coexist for SEO success?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

Using AdSense and affiliate links (ASPs) simultaneously is not a policy violation in itself. The rejection of AdSense approval is tied to other criteria, including the quality and quantity of original content compared to ads.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Search Console

Why does Google emphasize original content for AdSense?

Google Oct 13, 2022 ★★

To be approved by AdSense, you must create original, unique, and useful content for users, in sufficient quantity. The content-to-ad ratio is crucial: too many ads compared to the content can result in a rejection, regardless of the type of ads (affi...

Content AI & SEO Search Console

Does Googlebot really crawl your site from just one geographic location?

John Mueller Oct 12, 2022 ★★★

Googlebot generally crawls and indexes a website from a single geographic location. If you display different content based on the geographic location of the user, only one version will be indexed for search.

Content Crawl & Indexing Local Search International SEO

Should you really avoid IP-based geolocation redirects for your international SEO?

John Mueller Oct 12, 2022 ★★

Implementing redirects based on IP geolocation is a complex subject that can cause problems depending on how it's implemented. It's recommended to seek expert help or consult the Search Central help forum.

AI & SEO Local Search Redirects International SEO

Should you really display all important content without geolocation restrictions?

John Mueller Oct 12, 2022 ★★★

If an element on your website is considered important, make sure it is present in the default content displayed to all users, regardless of their location.

Content Local Search International SEO

Is blocking certain countries from accessing your pages really killing your Google rankings?

John Mueller Oct 12, 2022 ★★★

For any page you want to appear in search results, make sure you don't block access to users from other geographic locations.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Local Search International SEO

Is There Really a Definitive Percentage Threshold for Detecting Duplicate Content on Google?

John Mueller Oct 10, 2022 ★★★

John Mueller indicated on Twitter that Google does not have a specific percentage figure of similarity between two pieces of content that would determine whether or not there is a duplicate content issue between these two texts (for example: if the 2...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Social Media

Are stock images really hurting your search rankings?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★★

Using stock images as a decorative element on a page is perfectly acceptable. These images likely won't be ranked in image search, but they won't penalize your site either. This does not negatively affect web rankings.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Images & Videos Pagination & Structure

Should you really prioritize strategy over technical implementation when optimizing images?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★★

Before diving into the technical aspects of image optimization, you must first think strategically: which visual search queries might users use to find your site? Image optimization must align with your site's objectives.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Does adding context to alt attributes really boost your image SEO rankings?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★★

For image SEO, it's recommended to provide context in alt text, not just a basic description. For example, instead of 'photo of a beach', writing 'beach before chemical spill' helps users find the information they're searching for.

Domain Age & History Content E-commerce AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really write complete sentences in alt attributes?

Lizzi Sassman Oct 06, 2022 ★★

Alt text can simply be a descriptive phrase; it doesn't need to be a complete, grammatically perfect sentence. A concise and clear description is sufficient.

Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really choose between accessibility and SEO in your alt tags?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★

You need to find a balance between accessibility needs and SEO in alt text. For SEO, you might list synonyms ('beach at the ocean with waves'), but this is not always optimal for accessibility.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really fill the alt attribute for every single image on your site?

Lizzi Sassman Oct 06, 2022 ★★

For purely decorative images with aesthetic purpose, it is acceptable to leave the alt attribute empty. However, if the image serves a purpose (even a decorative one), adding alt text may be preferable to improve user experience.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos Pagination & Structure

Why does Google crawl your images far less often than your HTML pages?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★★

Google doesn't crawl images as often as web pages because they change infrequently. If you modify all your image file names, it will take several months for Google to explore and understand the connection between old and new images.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos PDF & Files

Does the text surrounding your images really carry more weight than the alt attribute?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★★

The text surrounding an image is a very strong signal for image SEO. It is not necessary to put everything in the alt attribute: the paragraph introducing the image can contain additional contextual information such as location, date, etc.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Do you really need rel="canonical" for multiple image versions?

John Mueller Oct 06, 2022 ★★★

Unlike web pages, it's not necessary to use rel canonical to indicate multiple versions of the same image. Google automatically recognizes similar images and can index multiple sizes/crops of the same image without any problem.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really stop writing 'image of' in alt attributes?

Lizzi Sassman Oct 06, 2022 ★★

You should not start each alt attribute with repetitive formulations like 'screenshot of' or 'image of'. Screen readers already know it's an image. It's better to start directly with the relevant description.

Domain Age & History Images & Videos