What does Google say about SEO?

Are RSS and Atom feeds really being used by Google to discover your content?

Gary Illyes Apr 17, 2025 ★★

Google Search uses RSS and Atom feeds as sources for URL discovery, in addition to other content discovery methods.

Content Domain Name

Are XML sitemaps really essential without official standardization?

Gary Illyes Apr 17, 2025 ★★

The XML Sitemap format, created in 2005-2006, is a widely adopted de facto standard but has never been formally standardized by a standardization body. There is no obvious benefit to standardizing it because it is a simple XML file with little risk o...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files Search Console

Is robots.txt still essential for modern websites, or just a relic of the past?

Gary Illyes Apr 17, 2025 ★★★

Robots.txt is considered extremely important for Google and virtually all search engines. Standardization helps reduce the burden on site owners by uniformizing the way these files are written for all consumers.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO PDF & Files

Why did Google open-source its robots.txt parser, and what does it mean for your SEO strategy?

Gary Illyes Apr 17, 2025 ★★

Following the standardization of robots.txt, Google made its robots.txt parser public as open source, enabling developers to use it as a foundation for creating better robots.txt files.

Crawl & Indexing PDF & Files

Are robots.txt and XML sitemaps now officially linked together?

Gary Illyes Apr 17, 2025 ★★

In the IETF's robots.txt standard, XML sitemaps are mentioned as an informative reference, establishing a formal link between these two crawling mechanisms.

Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure PDF & Files Search Console

Should You Avoid 301 Redirects in Your Hreflang Tags?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2025 ★★

According to John Mueller, hreflang tags pointing to pages with a 301 redirect are "probably acceptable." However, he recommends automating hreflang tag configuration to avoid redirects, which also makes tracking easier and reduces risks related to c...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Redirects International SEO

Should You Really Be Disavowing Your Backlinks Regularly to Protect Your SEO?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2025 ★★★

At a Search Central event in New York, John Mueller clarified that the disavow tool is not intended for regular use and is not part of normal site maintenance. Furthermore, he emphasized that Google does not recognize the concept of "toxic backlinks,...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

Why Can't EEAT Just Be Added to Your Site Like a Regular SEO Factor?

John Mueller Apr 08, 2025 ★★★

Google has confirmed that EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) cannot simply be "added" to a web page like a standard SEO element. At the Search Central Live NYC event, John Mueller explained that EEAT is used by quali...

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Does Google Really Index Images Loaded via JavaScript?

Martin Splitt Apr 08, 2025 ★★★

Martin Splitt confirmed that images loaded via JavaScript can be indexed by Google, provided they are properly configured. At the SEO for Paws conference, he explained that indexing issues often stem from errors such as images missing from the XML si...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security AI & SEO Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files Search Console

Does Publishing New Topics Really Dilute Your SEO Authority?

Danny Sullivan Apr 08, 2025 ★★

Danny Sullivan explained that publishing content on a new topic does not negatively impact a site's search rankings, but Google will nonetheless try to understand how this content fits with the rest of the site. A new section may initially benefit fr...

Content AI & SEO

Should You Avoid Freelance Writers Who Have Worked for Penalized Sites?

Danny Sullivan Apr 08, 2025 ★★★

During Search Central Live NYC, Danny Sullivan clarified one thing: there is no negative authorship signal that would follow a freelance writer from one penalized site to another: "If you've written for a site that has had a manual action taken again...

AI & SEO Penalties & Spam

Why Does Google Run 700,000 Tests Yearly and What Does It Mean for Your SEO?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2025 ★★★

At the Search Central Live NYC event, John Mueller explained that Google conducts 700,000 tests per year, which equates to more than 4,700 search engine updates. This therefore implies that many tests take place in parallel. "This also means that whe...

Content AI & SEO

Do Google Quality Raters Actually Control Your Site's Ranking?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2025 ★★★

During Search Central Live NYC, John Mueller also emphasized the importance of quality raters, these evaluators who assess the effectiveness of Google's algorithm updates. Although these evaluations don't directly determine rankings, they help adjust...

Algorithms Content AI & SEO

Why Do 15% of Never-Before-Seen Google Queries Change Your SEO Strategy?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2025 ★★★

Finally, John Mueller reaffirmed that 15% of queries handled by Google are completely new; a figure that remains stable over the years despite the rise of AI in search. To answer these queries that cannot be anticipated, Google relies on different te...

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

Does GoogleBot really crawl URLs that your site never created?

Google Mar 27, 2025 ★★★

GoogleBot can crawl URLs that were not generated by your website. Google crawls all URLs found on the Internet, but never fabricates URLs. If you want to prevent crawling of certain URLs, use the robots.txt file.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name PDF & Files

Why do Search Console and Google Analytics show different numbers?

Google Mar 27, 2025 ★★★

Search Console and Google Analytics are different tools with distinct metrics and definitions. Data doesn't always match between the two tools. Consult the official documentation 'Differences between Analytics and Search Console data' to understand t...

PDF & Files Search Console

How long does it actually take Google to detect and process a noindex tag fix?

Google Mar 27, 2025 ★★

When you fix errors like accidentally applied noindex tags, Google can take time to recognize these changes. Crawl speed varies depending on site sections. Be patient after correcting this type of error.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance

Does special character encoding in source code really harm your SEO rankings?

Google Mar 27, 2025 ★★

If the source code retrieved via Search Console URL inspection contains encoded special characters, this can happen depending on the implementation method used. In general, this type of encoding does not pose any problems for SEO.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console

What's the safest way to prevent Google from crawling your PDFs without accidentally getting them indexed?

Google Mar 27, 2025 ★★★

To block PDF files from crawling, the best practice is to use the HTTP header X-Robots-Tag with the noindex directive. If this method isn't possible, you can use robots.txt instead. A PDF blocked by robots.txt can be indexed but won't appear in searc...

Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security AI & SEO PDF & Files

How long does Google really take to display your new site name in search results?

Google Mar 27, 2025 ★★

When you change your site name, Google can take time to update how it displays in search results. Consult the official documentation 'Specify a website name for Google Search' and wait after making the necessary modifications.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO PDF & Files