What does Google say about SEO?

Search through official Google statements about search engine optimization

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9617 statement(s) found
Should you really worry when a 404 page turns back to 200?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
Changing a 404 page to 200 does not incur any penalty. Google normally reindexes the new content. However, a long-term 404 page gets crawled less frequently (possibly every two months). Thus, repeated 404/200 fluctuations can delay the detection of c...
Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing
Is it true that you have to wait for the next core update to recover your traffic?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
Sites affected by a core update do not need to wait for the next update to recover. By continuing to improve their content, they can see gradual improvements over time, even if the next core update may amplify these changes.
Algorithms Content AI & SEO Mobile SEO
Why do your rich snippets only show up in site query and not in regular SERPs?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
When technically valid rich snippets that comply with guidelines do not display normally but appear via a site query, it can indicate that the quality of the site is not reaching the required level to show these rich snippets. This is a side effect, ...
Content Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Local Search
Should you really rely on external testers instead of SEO tools to evaluate quality?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
To identify quality issues on a site, Google recommends seeking the opinions of external individuals unfamiliar with the site, rather than relying solely on SEO tools. These independent testers can use the questions from blog posts regarding core upd...
Algorithms Content Local Search
Is the URL Parameters Tool in Search Console really doomed?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
The URL Parameters Tool in Search Console has been lacking data for a long time not due to deprecation, but because of internal technical issues between teams. Google uses this data internally and plans to migrate the tool to the new Search Console w...
Content AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console
Is the URL Parameters Tool in Search Console really unnecessary for your e-commerce site?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
For most e-commerce sites, the URL Parameters Tool is unnecessary if canonicals, noindex, and internal links are correctly configured. It is really only useful for very large sites experiencing a surge in parameters or facing technical impossibilitie...
Content Crawl & Indexing E-commerce AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name
Why don’t the Search Console API and the web interface return the same data?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
The Search Console API and the web interface use exactly the same backend. If no data is returned by the API while the interface displays it, the issue likely stems from a difference in domain verification (HTTP vs HTTPS, www vs non-www).
HTTPS & Security AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Local Search Search Console
Do you really need to follow technical guidelines to achieve a featured snippet?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
Google has no explicit technical guidelines for obtaining featured snippets. They are normal search results displayed differently. The algorithms automatically determine their appearance, which can fluctuate. External resources document what works we...
Algorithms Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files
Why does Google refuse to track featured snippets in Search Console?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
Featured snippets are not distinguished in Search Console because Google treats them as normal search results. Their presence can be indicated by a position 1 and their absence by a lower position, visible through fluctuations in ranking for certain ...
Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Search Console
Is server authentication the only real shield against indexing staging environments?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
The best method to prevent the indexing of staging environments is server-side authentication (password or IP restriction). While robots.txt or noindex tags work, they can be mistakenly pushed to production, thus blocking the live site.
Crawl & Indexing E-commerce AI & SEO
Can your staging URLs be indexed even without any links pointing to them?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
Even without visible links, development URLs can be discovered by Google through browser extensions that track website popularity or through public mailing lists where developers share links via email.
Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Social Media
Can Google really detect timestamp manipulation on news sites?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
Google detects timestamp manipulation by news sites that artificially refresh their content. Robust systems identify the true publication date. Undetected cases can be reported via Twitter with screenshots for transmission to the concerned team.
Content AI & SEO Mobile SEO Social Media
Homepage with URL Parameters: Should You Really Index Multiple Versions or Canonicalize Everything?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
A homepage with parameters and one without are two distinct URLs for Google. If the versions are indeed different (personalized content), they can be indexed separately. If they are equivalent, use rel=canonical to point to the preferred version. The...
Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name
What happens when you migrate from www to non-www without 301 redirects, and how does it destroy your SEO?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
When transitioning from www to non-www (or vice versa), 301 redirects are essential. Without redirects, Google sees the old version as broken and gradually removes it, treating the new version as a completely new site, thereby losing all accumulated ...
Domain Age & History AI & SEO Domain Name Redirects
Should you reconfigure Search Console every time you migrate from www to non-www?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
When changing a prefix (www/non-www), you must verify the new property if the verification is prefix-based. Domain verification avoids this problem. Search Console is not required for the website's operation and automatically recalculates historical ...
Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects Search Console
404 or noindex for deindexing: which method should you really prefer?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
Using 404 or noindex to remove pages from the index produces the same final result. Noindex can be slightly faster, but the difference is negligible at the scale of a site. Choose the most practical method based on the technical context.
Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing E-commerce AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO
Do uppercase URLs really create duplicate content that Google penalizes?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
Google treats URLs as case-sensitive. Identical URLs with uppercase/lowercase variations create technical duplicate content. Small sites manage this easily, but very large sites must normalize via consistent internal links and rel=canonical to optimi...
Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name
Is keyword cannibalization really an SEO issue or just a myth?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★
Keyword cannibalization exists but it is not a mysterious penalty. It's a marketing strategy issue: offering a strong and focused page versus several diluted pages on the same topic. The choice depends on the search intent and the desired content pre...
Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO
Why does Google ignore your date structured data if it's not visible?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
For Google to recognize the date of an article, it must be confirmed in the visible content, not just in structured data. The algorithms extract all dates (visible and metadata) and choose the one with the most support within the article. Clearly dis...
Algorithms Content Discover & News Structured Data AI & SEO Images & Videos Pagination & Structure Local Search
Is the URL switch between AMP and canonical HTML capable of really harming your ranking?
John Mueller Sep 04, 2020 ★★★
Switching from the AMP version to the canonical HTML version (or vice versa) does not change the page ranking. It’s solely a matter of displayed URL. If a drop in ranking coincides with an AMP change, it is a general ranking issue, not related to AMP...
Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Mobile SEO Domain Name
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