What does Google say about SEO?

Does migrating to JavaScript really affect SEO rankings?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

If the structure, content, or URLs change during a migration to JavaScript, it will impact rankings since Google will need to gather signals again. An exact copy without changes to URLs will not necessarily impact rankings.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Does Googlebot really see every localized version of your pages?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Googlebot does not see all the page versions that users see because it does not crawl from every city in the world. If Google does not see the localized content, it will not know it exists.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Local Search

Does hreflang really group your multilingual content in Google's eyes?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

For localized content, you need to set up hreflang to indicate the available versions in different languages, so that Google can understand and group them as a single piece of content with linguistic variations.

Content AI & SEO Local Search International SEO

Could personalizing content for your users lead to a cloaking penalty?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Showing personalized content to users based on their preferences (cookies) while serving a pre-rendered version to Googlebot is not cloaking, as long as the personalization remains logical and expected (e.g., different restaurant order).

Content Crawl & Indexing Penalties & Spam

Should we ditch dynamic rendering for SSR with hydration?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Dynamic rendering is seen as a workaround. For medium to long-term investments, it's better to opt for SSR with hydration, which offers the best of both worlds.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you really be concerned if Googlebot doesn't click on your buttons?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★

Google Search does not click on buttons on web pages. A non-functional 'Add to Cart' button in SSR is therefore not an issue for organic search.

Domain Age & History JavaScript & Technical SEO

How does the JavaScript main thread affect the indexing of your pages?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★

For hydration, minimize the time your JavaScript spends on the main thread as much as possible. Offload work from the main thread to prevent interactivity from being hindered and the page from becoming stuttery.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you really be wary of Web Workers for SEO?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★

Although web workers are theoretically useful for parallelizing tasks, they must be tested very carefully because there are many edge cases that can fail during rendering, as few sites use them significantly for content.

Content AI & SEO

How can you make your hyper-local content URLs discoverable without sacrificing traffic?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

For hyper-localized content by city, ensure that each version has a unique URL and that these URLs are discoverable via a sitemap or a navigation structure with clear internal links.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Pagination & Structure Local Search Search Console

Why isn’t schema markup enough to ensure rich snippets appear?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Properly implementing schema markup and meeting all requirements makes you eligible for rich snippets, but does not guarantee their display. The algorithm decides on a case-by-case basis based on the query.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Structured Data AI & SEO

How does the JavaScript main thread block interactivity on your pages according to Google?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★

For JavaScript hydration, minimize the time spent on the main thread as much as possible to avoid blocking interactivity and causing a choppy experience for users.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Can Google really overlook your critical tags in the battle between initial and rendered HTML?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Inconsistencies between initial HTML and rendered HTML (canonical, noindex, title) create undefined behavior. Google can unpredictably choose one version or the other. This situation must be avoided.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you prioritize JavaScript performance for your real users over optimization for Googlebot?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★

If your JavaScript takes excessive time on a standard device (smartphone, computer), optimize first for your real users. User performance issues arise before rendering problems for Google.

JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Web Performance Search Console

Why has testing JavaScript rendering before launch become essential for Google indexing?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Before launching a site with JavaScript rendering, you must test with the mobile optimization test and verify the rendered HTML in Search Console to ensure that the expected content is present.

Content JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Search Console

How can you structure your URLs to enhance the discoverability of hyper-local content?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

For hyper-local content per city, ensure you have discoverable URLs through the sitemap or a structure with links in the menus, allowing Google to understand where the content is situated within the structure and how the cities are connected.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Pagination & Structure Local Search Search Console

Are Core Web Vitals really measured from Google bots or from your actual users?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Core Web Vitals come from real user data (Chrome UX Report), not from bots. Therefore, dynamic rendering does not impact Core Web Vitals since users receive the client-side rendered version.

Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Web Performance

Why don't rich snippets show up even with valid Schema.org markup?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

Properly implementing Event Schema markup and meeting all requirements makes you eligible for rich results, but does not guarantee their display. The algorithm decides if a rich snippet is shown for a given query.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Structured Data AI & SEO

What happens when your initial HTML differs from the HTML rendered by JavaScript?

Martin Splitt Nov 11, 2020 ★★★

When there are inconsistencies between the initial HTML and the rendered HTML (canonical, noindex, title), it is considered undefined behavior. Google may unpredictably choose either one. This situation should be absolutely avoided.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Is the indexing request tool going to disappear from Search Console?

John Mueller Nov 10, 2020 ★★★

Google has no intention of removing the indexing request tool from Search Console. The aim is rather to improve automatic systems to reduce the need for manual use of this tool, except in exceptional circumstances.

Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Search Console

Should you choose your tech stack based on SEO?

John Mueller Nov 10, 2020 ★★

There is no single web technology that is better for SEO. HTML, JavaScript, AMP, WordPress, or other CMS all work well by default in Google search. The choice should be based on your specific needs, your team, and the type of site you are building.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO