What does Google say about SEO?

Do Core Web Vitals really penalize sites with users on slow connections?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

Core Web Vitals scores reflect the actual location of users. If your users have a slow connection, you are compared to other sites targeting those same users. This is not a disadvantage, as Google evaluates sites based on the geographical context of ...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Web Performance Local Search International SEO

Should you really avoid altering your site's structure to please Google?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

Frequently modifying a site's structure makes it difficult for Google to understand. Each change requires time for reprocessing. It's crucial to choose a stable structure and maintain it over the long term, rather than changing regularly.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Should you really block the indexing of certain pages to improve your crawl?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

For sites with crawl and indexing difficulties, it’s essential to limit the number of indexable pages. Using noindex on filter pages allows Google to focus on the truly important pages. Fewer links to secondary pages help as well.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Can a site really bounce back between two Core Updates without any SEO intervention?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★

A site can recover its visibility between two Core Updates without the intervention of an SEO specialist. Core Updates evaluate overall relevance. Anyone can rewrite content and improve the site; there's no need to be an SEO expert.

Algorithms Content AI & SEO

Why are my rankings plummeting without any alert in Search Console?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

A severe drop in rankings without an alert or manual action in Search Console is possible. This may be due to a Core Update or other algorithmic changes. Manual actions are reliable in Search Console; if there are none, there is no manual penalty.

Algorithms AI & SEO Penalties & Spam Search Console

Should you be worried if your site hasn't transitioned to mobile-first indexing yet?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

In March, Google will transition the rest of the web to mobile-first indexing. If your site is already migrated, you won’t see any changes. If your site is not yet migrated and the mobile version is weak, Google will still index the available mobile ...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Redirects

Should you still care about Search Console errors from an old migrated domain?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★

Search Console retains data for a very long time. If you migrated to a new domain several years ago, the errors reported on the old domain do not impact the new site and can be ignored.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

Should you split your site into multiple domains to enhance your SEO?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

Dividing a site into multiple parts has a difficult-to-predict SEO effect. Smaller sites can have a tougher time ranking in competitive environments. Merging can help improve rankings. Only divide for strong business reasons (unhappy users, conversio...

Content AI & SEO

Should you separate your blog and e-commerce on different domains for SEO?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★

You can host a blog and an e-commerce site on the same domain or separate them. Both approaches work. Choose based on your needs, Analytics tracking and management, not for SEO reasons.

E-commerce AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Does Google Discover really require a minimum number of articles to be featured?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★

There is no minimum number of articles required to be eligible for Google Discover. Discover's content policies differ from those of traditional search. Check the Discover content guidelines and adapt your content accordingly.

Content Discover & News

Do structured data really improve your ranking in Google?

John Mueller Dec 18, 2020 ★★★

Structured data (schema markup) do not change page rankings. They alter the display in search results (rich results, FAQs). This can increase visibility and attract more users, but with no direct effect on ranking.

Domain Age & History Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO

Is healthy navigation truly a ranking factor according to Google?

Aurora Morales Dec 17, 2020 ★★★

Google emphasizes the significance of having healthy navigation on websites as a fundamental element of SEO guidelines and best practices.

AI & SEO Images & Videos Pagination & Structure

Should you really focus solely on the user to rank on Google?

Aurora Morales Dec 17, 2020 ★★★

According to Google, the fundamental principle of SEO can be summarized as: focus on your users and create quality content. This holistic approach applies to all aspects of website creation.

Content

Are Google's technical guidelines really essential for ranking?

Aurora Morales Dec 17, 2020 ★★

For a site to perform well in Google search results, it is necessary to follow a specific set of technical guidelines.

Content AI & SEO

Is unique content really the key to ranking on Google, or just an SEO myth?

Aurora Morales Dec 17, 2020 ★★★

Google recommends creating unique and original content as a best practice to maintain a sustainable and compliant online presence according to guidelines.

Content AI & SEO

How can a manual action from Google destroy your site's organic traffic?

Aurora Morales Dec 17, 2020 ★★★

A site's activity in organic search can receive a manual action from Google, which can negatively affect the site's performance in search results.

Penalties & Spam Web Performance Search Console

Does Search Console really enhance your online presence?

Aurora Morales Dec 17, 2020 ★★

Google Search Console is a useful tool that, when used alongside other tools like Site Kit, helps improve the overall online presence of a website.

AI & SEO Search Console

Do Structured Data Tags Really Make a Difference for SEO Rankings?

John Mueller Dec 14, 2020 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Twitter that the reading of structured data tags on a page is considered in the search engine's relevance algorithm only in an "extremely weak" way because, most of the time, Google has already understood elsewhere, by readi...

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Social Media

Does Google Measure Core Web Vitals on Noindex Pages?

John Mueller Dec 14, 2020 ★★★

John Mueller indicated during a hangout that a web page with a "noindex" tag could be analyzed as part of the Page Experience / Core Web Vitals project, since it is available online and can be read by users.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance

Can You Still Rely on Google's URL Submission Tool to Get Your Pages Indexed?

John Mueller Dec 14, 2020 ★★★

At the SMX conference last week, John Mueller indicated that the URL submission tool in Search Console should return soon (more than 2 months after its "temporary" shutdown), at least he hopes so before the end of the year.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console