What does Google say about SEO?

Do AMP errors really harm Google rankings, or is it just a myth?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

AMP errors on pages do not have a negative effect on ranking. However, they prevent Google from processing these pages as valid AMP, thus hindering caching and rapid serving. It's a usability issue, not a ranking one.

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

How can cleaning up your URL structure solve your ranking problems?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

When multiple similar pages exist and the wrong ones rank, cleaning up the site structure helps Google to identify the right pages. This includes reducing internal links to unwanted pages and using rel canonical or redirects. Focusing value on fewer ...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Is it true that hidden text for accessibility is penalized by Google?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

Invisible titles used for accessibility (like 'main navigation' for screen readers) are very common on the web. Google does not treat them as spam cloaking. At worst, Google may view this text as less relevant because users do not see it.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Pagination & Structure Penalties & Spam

Does Google really rewrite your titles to boost clicks without affecting rankings?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

Google sometimes rewrites page titles based on the search query to better align with user intent. This does not change the ranking: it's solely to improve the click-through rate by presenting a more relevant title for that specific search.

Domain Age & History Content

Should you really stuff your titles with every keyword variation?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

Including all variations of keywords in a title (plural, singular, synonyms) does not automatically make a page relevant. Google can rewrite such titles if they resemble an SEO keyword list rather than a useful description for users.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Should you really stop optimizing for synonymous keywords?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

Thanks to advancements in machine learning, Google understands synonyms (like 'hotel' and 'accommodation') very well. It is unnecessary to mention all variations of words on the same page, as Google knows they refer to the same thing.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO

Why does Google consistently block rich results for adult sites?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

No types of rich results are supported for adult content sites, according to Google's guidelines. The systems recognize it as an adult site and simply do not display these rich results, without any manual action or penalty.

Content Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Penalties & Spam Local Search

Does SafeSearch really filter the entire domain if only a part contains adult content?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

Google applies SafeSearch filters to a broad URL pattern across a site. If the majority of a domain contains adult content with a small non-adult part, Google is likely filtering the whole domain as a precaution. Using subdomains or separate domains ...

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

What impact can changing your site's design or content have on your rankings?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

Any change on a site (adding or removing text, modifying internal linking, changing the layout with different headings) must be reflected in the rankings. Retaining the URLs makes migration easier as signals are preserved, but Google must reassess th...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Do domain extensions (.com, .fr, .uk) really influence the value of backlinks?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

Google does not assign different weights to links based on the extension (.com, .au, .uk). Differentiation is based on the type of link and its contextual importance: does it provide substantial information about the target page or is it ancillary?

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

Does redirecting your old pages to an archive really help preserve SEO?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

To archive old pages that have accumulated backlinks, they can be redirected to an archive section. The redirect signals to Google to transfer the links to the new destination.

Domain Age & History Links & Backlinks Redirects

Should you block pages receiving backlinks with robots.txt?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★★

If a page is blocked by robots.txt, Google does not know its content and cannot indirectly transfer external links to the main content of the site. It is important to avoid blocking important pages that receive links.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Links & Backlinks

Do links from old press releases really drag down your backlink profile?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

Press releases accumulate links over time, but these are very dated links from news archives. Even if the number of links seems high, these links are less useful as they have become very irrelevant.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Does Google really not care who published the original content?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

Google does not try to determine who is the original owner or author of copied content. It is not always the original source that is most relevant to users. Sometimes, a version with additional analysis is more sought after than the original.

Content AI & SEO

Do domain migration problems amplify the impact of Core Updates?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

A site with residual domain migration issues can be doubly affected by a core update: the combination of remaining migration problems and the impact of the update explains the observed fluctuations.

Algorithms AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Should you really delay your SEO changes during a Core Update?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

There is no conflict in launching design or URL changes during the deployment of a core update. Core updates target broader changes. If you are making improvements, it’s better to put them online as soon as possible without waiting.

Algorithms AI & SEO Domain Name

Should you really update all backlinks after a domain migration?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

After a domain migration, updating external links pointing to the old site helps Google with canonicalization. If Google hesitates between the old and new version, external links to one version help in making the right decision.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Redirects

Why does Google maintain SafeSearch filtering even after migrating to clean content?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

If the new domain previously hosted adult content, it may be listed in Google's SafeSearch filter. The update will occur automatically as it sees the new content, but it takes time to switch to a normal domain.

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

Should you really use the address change tool when migrating between subdomains?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

The address change tool in Search Console assists during a domain name change to transfer signals at the domain level. It is not needed for moving between subdomains of the same domain (e.g., m.example.com to www.example.com).

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

Do AMP errors really affect your Google ranking?

John Mueller Dec 11, 2020 ★★

If Google detects AMP errors, the pages are not valid and will not be kept in the AMP cache nor treated as AMP alternates. There is no effect on ranking, but you are not fully leveraging your AMP pages (no immediate service from cache).

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Images & Videos Mobile SEO Web Performance