What does Google say about SEO?

Are geo-redirects really blocking your content from getting indexed by Google?

John Mueller Jan 30, 2022 ★★

Geo-redirects are problematic because Googlebot typically crawls from a single location. If US users are redirected and Googlebot follows suit, Google cannot index the original content. This also creates duplication if certain versions aren't redirec...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Penalties & Spam Redirects

Why should you incorporate Page Experience into your desktop SEO strategy?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

Beginning in February 2022, Google will use Page Experience as part of its ranking system for desktop. The rollout will be complete by the end of March 2022. The signals used will be the same as those already used for mobile.

Domain Age & History Mobile SEO

Should you worry about URL variations for SEO?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

If internal or external links point to a URL variant (example.com/index.html instead of example.com/), there is no significant impact on ranking as long as canonicals and redirects are properly configured. The main impact is operational (risk of conf...

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

How does the Desktop Page Experience report affect your SEO strategy?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

A new Page Experience report for desktop is now available in Search Console, enabling website owners to track the performance of their desktop pages prior to ranking integration.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

Why are Search Console coverage reports sometimes delayed?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★

If redirected pages are not immediately reflected in Search Console coverage reports (for example, under 'Redirecting Pages'), it is likely due to a normal processing delay.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Redirects Search Console

How do clicks on 'People Also Ask' impact your SEO statistics?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

For the 'People Also Ask' feature: expanding a section counts as an impression for all snippet links. A click on a link then counts as a click. The standard position rules apply.

Links & Backlinks

How can you truly master indexing in four steps according to Google?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

Indexing follows four steps: 1) Discovery of the URL, 2) Crawl to retrieve the content, 3) Indexing on the servers, 4) Display in the results. 'Detected - not indexed' means discovered but not yet crawled. 'Crawled - not indexed' means crawled but no...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Is it necessary to cite external sources for AggregateRating?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

For AggregateRating data sourced from external partner sites, it's crucial to clearly display the source and allow users to verify the original reviews. Showing only favorable reviews or not allowing verification can be problematic. User trust is ess...

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search

Does being part of the same company group really ensure the SEO credibility of reviews?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

Even if reviews come from sites within the same group of companies, they must be clearly identified and verifiable. The key is transparency and trust for the user, not the legal relationship between the sites.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search

How does Google really use your spam reports?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

For sites using spam techniques (such as subdirectories with irrelevant content), the official method is to submit a Spam Report. Google uses these reports to identify global trends and improve algorithms, not to address each individual case.

Algorithms Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam Search Console

How does Google truly leverage Spam Reports to enhance its algorithms?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

Spam Reports are not manually processed one by one. They are analyzed to identify trends and enhance automated detection algorithms on a large scale (millions of pages). A reported site can stay online even if the algorithm effectively handles simila...

Algorithms Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam

Why should you prefer robots.txt to block crawling?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

To prevent the crawling of certain URLs with parameters, robots.txt is preferable to the URL Parameters tool because it works for all crawlers, not just Google. The URL Parameters tool is only useful in very specific and complex cases. Using canonica...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Images & Videos Domain Name

Should you really let Google crawl your pages instead of blocking them?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

The general recommendation is to let Google crawl and automatically decide, use canonical for normalization, and only block crawling via robots.txt or URL Parameters in last resort if absolutely necessary.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Is DMCA the Better Choice for Reporting Copied Content Instead of Search Console?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

For copied content displayed in search results, the appropriate procedure is to submit a DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) request using Google's legal form, not through Search Console or Spam Report. This is a formal legal procedure.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam Search Console

How could DMCA requests affect your SEO strategy?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

URLs removed following a DMCA request are publicly visible in Google's transparency report. Infringing websites must be aware that these actions are made public.

JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

What's the deal with Google's 1000 URL limit on DMCA requests?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

For clone sites with tens of thousands of pages, there is no official method to submit more than 1000 URLs at a time via DMCA. The current batch process of 1000 must be followed. Also sending a Spam Report can help the anti-spam team.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Penalties & Spam

Why are we still optimizing for Google instead of our readers?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★

For medical content supervised by experts, the goal should be to make this information clear for readers, not search engines. Writing in clear HTML text is enough for Google to understand. There are no specific structured data for supervisors, and th...

Content AI & SEO

Why is the UGC attribute essential for your blog comment links?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

Links in blog comments should be marked with the rel='ugc' (User Generated Content) attribute to indicate that they are user-generated content. This avoids link manipulation issues, except for established high-quality communities.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure

Should you rethink comment campaigns for SEO?

Google Jan 27, 2022 ★★★

Offering rewards for comments is acceptable for engagement, but it becomes problematic if used to obtain links (link spam). Google detects and penalizes sites that excessively use comments or guest posts to manipulate links, through algorithms and ma...

Algorithms Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Mobile SEO Pagination & Structure Penalties & Spam

Is E-A-T really not a Google ranking factor?

Martin Splitt Jan 26, 2022 ★★★

Martin Splitt indirectly confirms that E-A-T is not a ranking factor by mentioning that statements claiming "E-A-T is a ranking factor" are examples of persistent SEO myths that should no longer circulate.

Content AI & SEO