What does Google say about SEO?

Do 100% JavaScript sites really pose a problem for SEO?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★

For Google Search, sites that are entirely dependent on JavaScript do not really pose a SEO problem. However, they are discouraged from a user experience perspective as they are more fragile and may block users with certain add-ons.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you abandon JavaScript for optimal SEO performance?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★

Pages that do not rely on JavaScript are usually more robust, stable, and faster. Avoid total dependence on JavaScript without a truly valid reason, particularly for traditional e-commerce websites.

Domain Age & History E-commerce AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Pagination & Structure

Why is the Mobile-Friendly Test considered more reliable than DevTools for SEO?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★★

DevTools with the Googlebot user-agent only changes the HTTP string but maintains standard Chrome parameters. The Mobile-Friendly Test uses the actual Googlebot infrastructure and rendering, making it more reliable despite timeout limitations.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Pagination & Structure

Does Google's indexing infrastructure really have more time than testing tools?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★

Google's indexing infrastructure uses batch processing, providing minutes or hours to crawl resources and retry multiple times. Testing tools must limit wait time to a few minutes, leading to 'other error' mistakes.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

How is Google's new URL Inspection Tool transforming the way we analyze indexed content?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★★

In Search Console, use the URL Inspection Tool and then 'View Crawled Page' to see the actual rendered HTML indexed by Google. It's an alternative to the cache operator, which doesn't work well for JavaScript.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Web Performance Search Console

Do JavaScript frameworks really affect SEO?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★★

Google makes no distinction between React, Angular, or other JavaScript frameworks when it comes to SEO. There is no SEO advantage to using one framework over another or migrating everything to a single platform.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Do you really need to optimize JavaScript for SEO on WordPress?

Martin Splitt Sep 09, 2021 ★★

WordPress sites typically do not require specific JavaScript SEO optimizations. Instead, carefully examine WordPress themes that often load unnecessary resources that slow down the site.

JavaScript & Technical SEO

Does Google Really Need All JavaScript Features to Work for Proper Rendering?

Martin Splitt Sep 06, 2021 ★★★

Martin Splitt explained on Twitter that for Google's rendering phase of your web pages to work well, it's not necessary for all features to be active as they would be for an end user, such as the burger menu or other elements. This doesn't pose a maj...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure Social Media

Can Changing Your IP Address Hurt Your Site's SEO Rankings?

John Mueller Sep 06, 2021 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Reddit that if you change your server's IP address, it will not affect your page rankings. However, it may impact the site's crawlability by bots, while the search engine's crawl budget system adapts to the new configuration...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you still care about modified titles in search results?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

Google continues to use the content of the HTML title tag for ranking, even though the title displayed in search results may be modified by algorithms. Webmasters should not alter their titles to match what Google displays.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content Local Search

Should you avoid 'nofollow' attributes on your own sites?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

For links between two sites owned by the same owner, use regular links without the sponsored or nofollow attributes. These links are not regarded as affiliate links by Google.

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

How can you effectively manage website mergers without facing SEO penalties?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

When merging websites, there is no penalty for migrating gradually or all at once. For site merges and separations, incremental migration is acceptable, unlike traditional domain changes.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Is your news site really optimized for Google's algorithm?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Inclusion in Google News has become primarily algorithmic. Registering with the Google News Publisher Center does not guarantee visibility everywhere; it requires convincing the algorithms of the quality of the news site.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Discover & News AI & SEO

Why is having a single recipe per page essential for SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

The schema.org markup for recipes should only be used for a single item per page, not for lists of recipe ideas. Google is working to algorithmically detect these abuses rather than relying on manual actions.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Structured Data AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Why Are Mobile-Friendly Reports Not Comprehensive for SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

Mobile usability reports, Core Web Vitals, and structured data in Search Console show a sample of URLs. A decrease in the number of valid URLs does not mean that other pages have issues, only that they have not been verified.

Domain Age & History Mobile SEO Domain Name Web Performance Search Console

Should you include affiliate links in your product markup to enhance your SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

It is acceptable to use links to other sellers, such as Amazon affiliate links, in schema.org Product markup, as some sites operate on an affiliate basis or with separate cart systems.

Domain Age & History Structured Data E-commerce AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure

Is it really necessary to enrich your category pages for SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Having a bit of content on category pages is beneficial for providing context, but these pages shouldn't be transformed into Wikipedia articles. The goal is to offer context without diluting the page's value.

Domain Age & History Content Discover & News AI & SEO

Does the placement of content on a category page really influence SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Whether you place the content at the top or bottom of a category page likely makes little difference for SEO. Content at the top can slightly aid in understanding the context and headings.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Does including a country in the title tag really affect your SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Mentioning a specific country in the title tag (like US or UK) is not used by Google to determine the geographic geotargeting of the site.

Domain Age & History Content

Why do Google’s Core Web Vitals rely on the Chrome User Experience Report?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

The Core Web Vitals data used for rankings comes from the Chrome User Experience Report. For this data to be collected, users must have consented to share their data with Google.

Domain Age & History Web Performance Social Media