What does Google say about SEO?

Can Removing Links Trigger a Google Penalty?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Removing links is not considered an alarm signal by Google's algorithms. If a site loses visibility due to artificial links and those links are removed, the site will simply lose that artificial support without any particular alert trigger.

Algorithms AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Are links really losing their ranking power on Google?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Links are just one factor among many used for ranking. Removing an excess link will not lead to a sudden disappearance of a site because Google relies on multiple ranking signals.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Do backlinks lose their significance once a website is established?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★

Links are particularly important at the beginning, when Google doesn't yet know a website and needs to discover it. Once Google understands the site and its context, growth can become more organic without constant addition of links.

Domain Age & History Content Links & Backlinks

Should we really ban all exchanges of value for links?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Any exchange of value for a link is problematic: paying for a link, proposing a mandatory reciprocal link, or any form of compensation. The site making the link must freely decide to create it.

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Should you really stop all large-scale repetitive link tactics?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★

Repeating a link-building tactic with a very large number of sites can be identified as an artificial scheme by Google's webspam team, even if the individual tactic seems legitimate.

JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

Are Google’s manual actions always visible in Search Console?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

If a site has no manual action displayed in Google Search Console, then there is no active manual action against that site. Manual penalties are always visible in this tool.

AI & SEO Penalties & Spam Search Console

Should AMP pages really adhere to the same Core Web Vitals thresholds as standard HTML pages?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

AMP pages will be treated like standard HTML pages for Core Web Vitals. They will need to meet the same thresholds, even though by default, AMP pages are generally fast enough to achieve them.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Web Performance

Should you really let go of rel=next and rel=prev tags for pagination?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Google no longer uses the rel=next and rel=previous attributes to understand pagination. Its systems now automatically recognize pagination. These tags can remain for accessibility but have no longer any SEO impact.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Is it true that the number of words isn't a Google ranking factor?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Google does not count the words on a page to determine its ranking. A 300-word piece can be excellent, while a 2000-word piece can be pointless. What matters is the value provided, not the length.

Domain Age & History Content

Are long-term 302 redirects really equivalent to 301s for SEO?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★

If a 302 (temporary) redirect remains in place for years, Google will treat it as a permanent redirect and index the destination page. No loss of value is associated with the choice between 302 and 301 in this case.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Redirects

How long can a 503 error last without risking deindexation?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★

The server code 503 indicates a temporary error. Google recommends not using it for more than 2 to 7 days maximum, after which Google will begin to progressively deindex the affected URLs.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Are separate mobile URLs (m.example.com) still a viable SEO option?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★

The configuration with separate mobile URLs (m.example.com) remains fully supported with proper canonical and alternate tags. Google recommends a single version for simplicity but does not enforce this choice.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Images & Videos Mobile SEO Domain Name

Should you be worried about massively removing backlinks after a manual penalty?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Mass removal of links after a manual penalty is not seen as an alarm signal by Google. If the site was artificially boosted by these links, its visibility will naturally decrease after their removal, but this is not an additional sanction.

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Are Backlinks Becoming a Secondary Ranking Factor?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Google uses much more than links for ranking. Links are particularly important at the start when Google does not yet know the site. Once the site is known and its context understood, growth can become more organic without constant addition of links.

Content Links & Backlinks

Should you really wait for links to come in 'naturally' or take the initiative?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Google's recommendation is to create exceptional content that will naturally attract links over time. However, it is also advised to be proactive: advertising, reaching out to local press, and actively promoting high-quality content.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Local Search

What exactly constitutes a natural link according to Google, and how can you avoid risky practices?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

A link is considered natural if there is no exchange of value. Forbidden practices include: trading links (I’ll link to you if you link to me), paying for links, or forcing someone to create a link. The other site must decide to create the link on it...

Links & Backlinks

Should you nofollow all editorial links that come from collaborations with experts?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★

Collaborations where experts contribute to improving content and receive a recognition link are generally acceptable, provided there is no obligation for reciprocity. The issue arises when it becomes a systematic large-scale pattern that Google can i...

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure

Are you truly confident that you don't have any Google manual penalties?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

If there is no manual action displayed in Search Console, then there is no manual action applied to the site. Manual actions are always visible in Search Console and can be resolved there.

Penalties & Spam Search Console

Does a spammy past really erase its SEO footprint after a decade?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

A spammy site hosted on a domain ten years ago will have no residual effects on the current site. Spam effects do not persist after a ten-year hiatus. The only possible effects concern artificial links, but after ten years of inactivity, even those n...

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

Do AMP pages still hold a competitive edge against Core Web Vitals?

John Mueller Apr 01, 2021 ★★★

Google treats AMP pages like regular HTML pages for ranking purposes. When Core Web Vitals are used as a ranking factor, they will also apply to AMP pages. By default, AMP pages are fast and generally meet Core Web Vitals thresholds.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Web Performance