What does Google say about SEO?

How is Google adapting to inclusive writing in its SEO practices?

Zineb Ait Bahajji Dec 07, 2021 ★★★

Google must ensure that inclusive writing is supported by its crawling, indexing, and ranking systems, and that it also displays inclusive results.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Local Search

What impact does Google's support for inclusive writing have on your SEO strategy?

Zineb Ait Bahajji Dec 07, 2021 ★★

If search engines support the most common forms of inclusive writing, that's already a significant step. Google should start with the most frequently encountered forms found online.

AI & SEO

How are linguistic changes impacting SEO today?

Zineb Ait Bahajji Dec 07, 2021 ★★

Language is dynamic, and search engines need to account for any new forms of inclusive writing if these forms become prominent over time.

Domain Age & History International SEO

How does natural writing truly impact SEO?

John Mueller Dec 07, 2021 ★★

When people write naturally, they automatically include synonyms and variations, which benefits SEO as they do not keep repeating the same word over and over.

AI & SEO

Why is Inclusive Language Essential for SEO Right Now?

John Mueller Dec 07, 2021 ★★

Content creators shouldn't wait for a unique form of inclusive language to emerge. They should start using inclusive language now, even if they are not 100% sure which version will become popular.

Content AI & SEO

How does Google ensure a variety of content in search results?

John Mueller Dec 07, 2021 ★★★

Ideally, search engines should automatically present a diverse set of content. A search for 'firefighter' should automatically include different versions, such as sites mentioning 'female firefighter' or neutral terms.

Content AI & SEO Local Search

Why is writing for a diverse audience crucial for SEO?

Zineb Ait Bahajji Dec 07, 2021 ★★

Write for your users, and your users are diverse. You don't just have a readership of male or female readers. Make sure everyone feels included when they read what you write online.

Is Page Speed Really a Decisive SEO Ranking Factor?

John Mueller Dec 06, 2021 ★★★

John Mueller reminded us during a hangout with webmasters that if your website experiences large variations in its rankings or SEO traffic, this cannot in any way be attributed to a page load time issue: "The Page Experience update is generally a fai...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

Is Your Site Still Stuck After a Google Penalty Despite All Your Fixes?

John Mueller Dec 06, 2021 ★★

John Mueller confirmed in this same hangout the existence of a rare bug in the algorithm, which traps certain sites in a kind of void that prevents them from ranking again after being hit by a penalty. He added: "These are things I've seen from time ...

Algorithms Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should You Really Check a Domain's History Before Buying It for SEO?

John Mueller Dec 06, 2021 ★★★

When a webmaster asked whether it was a good idea to purchase a domain name that had been redirected or had generated no traffic for 17 years, John Mueller replied that this generally only poses a problem if the redirection in question led to adult s...

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Penalties & Spam Redirects

Why are 301 redirects essential for your site migrations?

John Mueller Dec 02, 2021 ★★★

Google recommends using permanent 301 redirects during a site migration. These redirects inform Google's systems that a URL has changed permanently.

Domain Name Redirects

Why should keeping 301 redirects in place for many months be at the top of your SEO checklist?

John Mueller Dec 02, 2021 ★★★

Redirects should be kept in place for at least one year after a site migration. This duration allows Google's systems to repeatedly detect and register the URL change.

AI & SEO Domain Name Redirects

How does Google decide which pages to crawl first?

John Mueller Dec 02, 2021 ★★

Google attempts to reprocess all pages at least every few months. Most pages are checked much more frequently, but crawling capacity is limited and Google has to prioritize which pages to explore.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why does Google emphasize the need for multiple detections of redirects?

John Mueller Dec 02, 2021 ★★★

Google's systems must detect a redirect several times to register the URL change. This is why you need to keep the redirect in place long enough to ensure it is seen repeatedly.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Should you really update all your URL references?

John Mueller Dec 02, 2021 ★★★

It is crucial to update all references to the old URL, including internal links within the site as well as critical links coming from external sites.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name

Should you really extend the duration of redirects beyond one year for SEO?

John Mueller Dec 02, 2021 ★★

It is always acceptable and safe to keep a redirect for more than one year. The recommended minimum goal is one year, but a longer duration poses no issues.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Redirects

Should You Buy an Expired Domain to Boost Your SEO?

John Mueller Nov 29, 2021 ★★★

John Mueller reminded webmasters during a hangout that using an expired domain that has been inactive for a long time (on which no content has been put online after having had a first life and then being parked) did not provide a specific SEO bonus. ...

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name

Should you merge identical content in UK and US English?

John Mueller Nov 26, 2021 ★★★

If the content is strictly identical between the UK and US English versions (without differences in currency, address, or content), it is better to create a single English version rather than two distinct URLs. This makes maintenance and ranking easi...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Domain Name International SEO

Is it a good idea to canonicalize paginated pages to the first page for SEO?

John Mueller Nov 26, 2021 ★★★

When all paginated pages (page 2, 3, 4) are canonicalized to page 1, the content from the other pages will not be indexed. This approach works if the site has sufficient cross-links, but if pages 2-3-4 contain unique content, they should be self-cano...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

How Does Google Handle the Geographic Visibility of Pages?

John Mueller Nov 26, 2021 ★★★

It is impossible to restrict a page's appearance to just one or two specific countries. If a page is in English, it can appear to any user searching in English, regardless of their geographic location.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Local Search International SEO