What does Google say about SEO?

Why does my site fluctuate between the top 3 and page 4 without stabilizing?

John Mueller Dec 04, 2020 ★★★

Significant and repetitive ranking fluctuations (pages oscillating between the top and pages 3-5) may indicate that Google’s algorithms are hesitating about the quality of the site. It’s a signal to significantly improve the overall quality of the si...

Algorithms Domain Age & History AI & SEO

Are Core Updates truly disconnected from other algorithmic changes at Google?

John Mueller Dec 04, 2020 ★★

Core Updates are generally not grouped with other types of algorithmic changes like indexing changes. If several updates are released simultaneously, it's more of a coincidence than an intentional grouping.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing

Do external reviews showcased on your site truly enhance your organic SEO?

John Mueller Dec 04, 2020 ★★★

Displaying authentic external ratings or reviews on your site does not influence Google's algorithms or ranking from a purely SEO standpoint. Users may value them for trust, but there is no immediate ranking change.

Algorithms AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search

Why isn't Google indexing all of your discovered URLs?

John Mueller Dec 04, 2020 ★★★

When many URLs fall under the 'discovered, currently not indexed' category, it means that Google has crawled the site and seen these URLs, but is not convinced that indexing them will provide value to users. The emphasis should be on quality over qua...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name

Should you use the address change tool when switching from m. to www.?

John Mueller Dec 04, 2020 ★★★

There is no need to use the address change tool in Search Console when transitioning from mobile URLs (m.site) to desktop URLs (www). Google will automatically detect the redirects. The tool is meant for moves between different websites. This change ...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Domain Name Redirects Search Console

Should you really ignore Schema.org properties that Google hasn't documented?

John Mueller Dec 04, 2020 ★★

Adding structured data properties or schema not mentioned in Google’s documentation probably provides no benefit and probably no harm either. Google recommends using structured data only for items intended to be visible in search results, according t...

Structured Data Pagination & Structure PDF & Files

Should you really create "comprehensive" content to rank on Google?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★★

For SEO, create high-quality content that is factually accurate, clearly written, and comprehensive.

Content AI & SEO

Has mobile-friendliness truly become an essential ranking criterion?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★★

Make your website mobile-friendly. Most people conduct searches on Google using a mobile device.

Mobile SEO

How does Google really index words and their positions on your pages?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★

Google constantly crawls the web to discover new and updated pages, compiling a massive index of all the words it sees and their locations on each page. When a user enters a query, Google's machines search the index for corresponding pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Local Search International SEO

Do indexing errors really kill your Google traffic?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★★

Errors prevent pages from being indexed. An error means that the page will not appear in Google, which can lead to a loss of traffic to your website. Ideally, you should fix most of the errors on your site to improve your coverage in Search.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing

Are 'Valid with Warnings' pages really indexed by Google?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★

Pages with the 'Valid with Warnings' status may or may not be displayed on Google, depending on the issue. Google believes there is a problem you should investigate.

Domain Age & History

Should you rewrite your titles and descriptions when impressions skyrocket without clicks following?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★★

If the number of impressions is significantly higher than clicks for a query or page, you may need to create better page titles and descriptions to make your site more appealing to users in search results.

Domain Age & History Content

Why are your target queries not showing up in Search Console?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★★

If there are search queries that you expect to see but don't, your site might not have enough useful content relevant to those queries.

Content AI & SEO

Should you really write unique titles and meta descriptions for every page?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★★

Write unique page titles and meta description tags for each of your pages. These are HTML elements that indicate to users and search engines what a particular page is about.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Are header tags really a ranking factor or just a structural tool?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 02, 2020 ★★

Use header tags (headings) to emphasize important text on your pages.

Domain Age & History Content

Can You Force Googlebot to Crawl Your Site Using HTTP/2?

John Mueller Nov 30, 2020 ★★★

John Mueller reminded on Twitter that it was not possible to force Googlebot to crawl a site using HTTP/2, following his announcement on this subject last September. Google chooses the protocol used by the bot, not the website...

Content Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security AI & SEO Social Media

Can Plagiarism of Your Content Actually Hurt Your Google Rankings?

John Mueller Nov 30, 2020 ★★

John Mueller also reminded on Twitter that the fact that other sites copy your content will not cause your content to rank lower in the search engine's results.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Social Media

Can Artificial SERP Clicks Actually Boost Your Google Rankings?

John Mueller Nov 30, 2020 ★★★

John Mueller has once again reminded us that creating a "click machine" that would type queries into the search engine and then automatically click on your site's link without returning to the SERP afterwards is nonsense in terms of SEO and will brin...

Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Are Longer Link Anchors Actually Better for SEO Than Short Ones?

John Mueller Nov 30, 2020 ★★★

John Mueller explained during a hangout that providing a long link anchor could be a good thing because it gives more contextual information about what the target page offers and this may potentially slightly improve the understanding of that page's ...

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content Discover & News AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Does Google really re-evaluate pages that improve over time?

John Mueller Nov 27, 2020 ★★★

Pages can either improve or degrade over time. If Google has collected signals about a page in the past and you significantly improve it, Google's systems may re-evaluate that page and recognize that it is now much better.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO