What does Google say about SEO?

Does Google really limit Discover traffic based on server capacity?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

Google imposes no traffic limits coming from Discover based on server capacity. If a site is deemed relevant to users, it will be displayed without visitor restrictions.

Discover & News

Is brand search really a Google ranking factor?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★

Google does not use brand search as a direct ranking factor. However, having a unique brand ensures guaranteed traffic because the site will be displayed when users specifically search for that brand.

How can you gauge a site's authority when Google won't provide a clear method?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★

Google does not provide public documentation on measuring a site's authority, and there likely isn't a simple method for assessing this concept.

PDF & Files

Does switching from HTTP to HTTPS with 301 redirects really lose SEO juice?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

A 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS within the same domain does not cause any loss of SEO value. This is the recommended approach for properly setting up the HTTPS version of a site.

HTTPS & Security AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Is duplicate content really safe for your rankings?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

When Google detects duplicate content, it simply picks one version to display in the results and does not show the others. It’s not a penalty that would prevent the site from appearing altogether.

Content AI & SEO Local Search

Can mobile pop-ups really kill your SEO?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

Intrusive interstitials on mobile are a ranking factor that can slightly lower a site's position, but will not completely remove it from the results if it remains relevant.

AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Will Core Web Vitals really revolutionize your SEO?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

Google plans to use Core Web Vitals as a ranking factor starting in May 2021. It is recommended to focus on the three main metrics.

AI & SEO Web Performance

Does a slow server really slow down crawling without affecting rankings?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

If Google detects that a server is becoming slower, crawling will slow down, but this will not affect the site's visibility in search results or Discover.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Discover & News AI & SEO

Should you really use anchors (#) instead of parameters (?) to track your URLs?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

For internal tracking, it is preferable to use anchors (#) in URLs instead of parameters (?). Google ignores everything that follows the # symbol and focuses on the main part of the URL.

Links & Backlinks Domain Name

Does Google really analyze video content to detect duplication with articles?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

Google does not perform textual analysis of videos to compare them to blog articles. A video and an article with the same content are considered different formats addressing different user intents.

Content Discover & News

Should you really sacrifice speed for quality content when launching a new site?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★

For a new website, it's recommended to first create fantastic content, and then gradually improve speed. Speed should not be the top priority at the expense of content quality.

Content AI & SEO Web Performance

Can Google Analytics slow down your site enough to hurt your SEO?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★

Google makes no exceptions for Google Analytics regarding speed. If a site is slow because of Analytics, it will be considered slow. It is possible to implement Analytics in an optimized way or to measure only a sample of traffic.

AI & SEO Web Performance

Does mobile-first indexing really impact your site's rankings?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

The transition to mobile-first indexing has no direct effect on rankings. The potential impact comes from the fact that Google might not have access to certain content if it is missing from the mobile version.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Does mobile-first indexing really require a mobile-friendly site?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

For mobile-first indexing, Google does not care whether the site is mobile-friendly. However, mobile-friendliness is separately used as a ranking factor for positioning.

Crawl & Indexing Mobile SEO

Does Discover really apply the same quality standards as traditional search?

John Mueller Jan 22, 2021 ★★★

Google Discover uses many of the same quality algorithms as web search. Broad Core updates that affect search generally also impact Discover.

Algorithms Discover & News

Can Google really remove illegal content from your site?

Google Jan 21, 2021 ★★★

Google can remove links to potentially illegal content from its search results pages, but only the website host can remove the content from the site. You need to contact the site owner to remove the content at the source.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Why does a generic URL sabotage your withdrawal requests on Google?

Google Jan 21, 2021 ★★

When making a content removal request, only the specific URL of the page in question should be submitted, and not the entire website URL. This helps Google process the request faster and with a higher chance of success.

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

How can you report illegal content in Google search results without getting lost in the support maze?

Google Jan 21, 2021 ★★

Google offers a centralized tool via g.co/legal that allows users to report illegal content on any Google platform, including Google Search. The tool guides users through an intuitive process of selecting the product and the reason for removal.

Content E-commerce AI & SEO

How can you expedite Google’s content removal request process?

Google Jan 21, 2021 ★★

To help Google review a removal request quickly and with the best chances of success, it is recommended that you provide specific information and clearly describe which content on the page belongs to you.

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

Does Google really favor certain languages in its indexing?

Gary Illyes Jan 19, 2021 ★★★

Google has no bias towards any particular language. The company pays considerable attention to ensure that each language has the same indexing potential, whether it’s smaller languages like Hungarian or larger languages like Chinese, English, or Arab...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO International SEO