What does Google say about SEO?

Are Google Search Console positions truly reliable for SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

The positions displayed in Search Console are based on what users actually see, not on theoretical positions. Differences from your own searches are normal because results vary by country, language, device, and type of search.

Search Console International SEO

Should you expect traffic drops when migrating from .com to .co.uk?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★★

Migrating from a .com domain to a .co.uk involves automatic geotargeting towards the UK. Traffic fluctuations are normal during this change, particularly if the content is also altered. With a .co.uk, it's not possible to geotarget subdomains to othe...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Why does Google count impressions even when there's no actual visibility?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

An impression is counted as soon as the results page loads with your site, even if the user does not scroll. Exception: for carousels, the impression is only counted when it is visible in the viewport.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Mobile SEO Pagination & Structure Search Console

Does using multiple CMS really affect your SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Using multiple CMS on the same site does not affect SEO. Google does not take the type of CMS into account for ranking or indexing. Any potential issues are related to the CMS itself, not to having several.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Could avoiding unique downloads actually enhance your SEO?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Creating unique download files for each user hinders Google's ability to proactively scan them, potentially triggering unusual download warnings. Supplying original files allows Google to recognize them as safe.

PDF & Files

Why should you keep the original URL for SEO after separating from PPC?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

When separating a URL used for SEO and PPC, it is recommended to keep the original URL for SEO because many signals are tied to it, and creating a new SEO URL would mean starting from scratch.

AI & SEO Domain Name

Why are your sitelinks showing the wrong languages?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

If Google displays incorrect country or language versions in the sitelinks, it usually indicates a problem with hreflang configuration or geotargeting. Check these settings as a priority.

Domain Age & History Links & Backlinks Local Search International SEO

Is it wise to still use KGMID in schema.org sameAs?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Using Google's Knowledge Graph identifier in the sameAs property of schema.org is technically possible but not recommended because these identifiers can change. It is advisable to prefer stable URLs such as the contact page, homepage, or a Wikipedia ...

Domain Age & History Content Discover & News Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure

Why is a sitemap crucial even for small sites?

John Mueller Sep 03, 2021 ★★

Submitting a sitemap file is not mandatory, especially for very small sites, but it is highly recommended as it facilitates the discovery of new and updated content by Google.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO PDF & Files Search Console

Do Mobile and Desktop Versions Really Need Identical Content for Mobile First Indexing?

John Mueller Aug 30, 2021 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Twitter that, to be acceptable in the Mobile First index, the desktop and mobile versions of a page do not need to offer exactly the same content, but must however "fulfill the same purpose" and he gave an example: "Having a...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Pagination & Structure Local Search Social Media

Should You Still Optimize Your Site for Google Search Result Personalization?

Danny Sullivan Aug 30, 2021 ★★★

Danny Sullivan reiterated on Twitter that result personalization (i.e., taking into account search history and visited sites, user profile, etc.) was an extremely weak criterion in the algorithm and that, most of the time, it was not taken into accou...

Algorithms Domain Age & History AI & SEO Local Search Social Media International SEO

Is it true that GA4 makes verification in Search Console more complicated?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

With the new version of Google Analytics (GA4), Google no longer automatically recognizes this method for verification in Search Console. An alternative method like the meta tag or the HTML file must be used.

Images & Videos PDF & Files Search Console

Can anchor links really harm your SEO?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★

Adding anchor links at the top of the page to navigate downwards does not have a negative impact from an SEO perspective. It makes content more accessible to users, which is a positive thing.

Domain Age & History Content JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Is it true that Google only crawls from a single location?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

Google typically crawls a site from a single geographic location, not from multiple data centers simultaneously. If content is served based on location, Google's bot may not see all the content available.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Local Search International SEO

How does window.history.pushState affect SEO indexing?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

When window.history.pushState occurs during page loading, Google treats it as a redirect. The modified URL is the one Google considers for indexing. However, server-side redirection remains preferable as it conserves rendering resources.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing E-commerce AI & SEO Domain Name Redirects

Pagination or Infinite Scroll: Which One Should You Optimize for SEO?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★

The choice between pagination and infinite scroll primarily depends on the desired user experience. Both approaches can perform well for SEO if they are implemented correctly.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Does preserving old content really affect your SEO?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

Old content or content with less traffic isn't automatically deemed bad. If the content is reasonable and of high quality, there's no issue with keeping it. Only truly poor content should be removed.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

How can new websites outperform the competition by focusing on long-tail keywords?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

For new or small websites, it is recommended to initially target long-tail queries where competition is lower, rather than highly competitive main queries. This allows for gradual growth.

Content

Is it true that large-scale guest posts are problematic for SEO?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

Creating a large volume of similar content and widely distributing it through guest posts with links back to your site results in artificial links. Google wants websites to earn recognition naturally, not through links that are artificially placed.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Should you really use nofollow for promotional links in SEO?

John Mueller Aug 28, 2021 ★★★

For the initial promotion of content through guest posts or other means, links must be nofollow. This functions like advertising: users can click, but no ranking signals are passed on. If people enjoy the content, they will subsequently create natura...

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks