What does Google say about SEO?

Should you really fix a JavaScript-heavy WordPress theme if Google indexes it correctly?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

A WordPress site using a JavaScript-dependent theme (where almost no content appears without JS) can be a SEO issue, but only if there are indexing or visibility problems. If the site works properly in Google, there’s no need to seek to repair it. Re...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Is it possible to have great Core Web Vitals while running a technically flawed site?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

It is possible to have an excellent First Input Delay but poor Time to Interactive and Total Blocking Time, probably due to JavaScript blocks that do not affect the FID. If the actual user experience is good, these metrics may not reflect reality. Th...

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Web Performance

Should you restrict access for users without JavaScript to protect your SEO?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Completely blocking access to the site and displaying 'Please enable JavaScript' when JS is disabled is not a direct SEO issue as long as Googlebot can execute the JavaScript. However, this approach increases the risk of errors and degrades the user ...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search

Why do your Lighthouse scores never truly reflect your users' real experience?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

Lab data (Lighthouse) and field data (CrUX) differ because lab tests use powerful machines and good connections, while field data reflects the actual user experience (various devices, slow connections, diverse geographic locations). Field data is a b...

Local Search International SEO

Does Google's render tree make your SEO testing tools obsolete?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Google uses the render tree instead of rendered pixels to analyze pages, but it’s an implementation detail that SEOs generally don’t have to worry about. Checking the rendered HTML and appearance in a real browser is sufficient. Only extreme cases of...

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you really worry about loading errors in Search Console?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

In the URL Inspection tool, seeing that resources could not be loaded (especially with the 'other error') is not necessarily problematic. Google does not load certain resources like Google Analytics because they do not affect rendering. 'Other error'...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Search Console

Does Googlebot really download images during the main crawl?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

For the main web crawl, Google generally does not download the image files themselves, only the URLs of the images, their alt text, and their context. This is why images can fail to load in testing tools without impacting SEO, as long as the image UR...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos Domain Name PDF & Files

Does the rendered HTML in Search Console really reflect what Googlebot indexes?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

Google's testing tools (URL Inspection Tool, Rich Results Test, Mobile-Friendly Test) display the rendered HTML as seen by Googlebot. If content appears in the rendered HTML, Google can use it; if it does not appear, Google does not see it.

Content Crawl & Indexing Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP Mobile SEO Domain Name Local Search Search Console

What are the chances that Googlebot is missing your critical JavaScript changes?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

When a JavaScript script modifies critical elements (title, headings) on the client side, it must be loaded as early as possible. If the script runs too late after the initial load, Googlebot may miss these changes as it uses heuristics to determine ...

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

Is it true that Google rewrites your title tags and meta descriptions at will?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Google can rewrite the title tags and meta descriptions shown in search results, even if they have been rendered correctly. The fact that the search result displays content that differs from the rendered HTML does not necessarily mean there is a rend...

Content AI & SEO Local Search

What event does Googlebot really wait for to index your content: DOMContentLoaded or Load?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

DOMContentLoaded fires when the DOM has been fully parsed, but before all resources (images, iframes) are completely loaded. The Load event waits for all resources referenced in the DOM to be downloaded, but does not account for content added later v...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you really prioritize critical content server-side before metadata in SSR?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

For a client/server hybrid rendering, prioritize Server-Side Rendering of critical content (title, meta description, canonical, main content) over secondary elements. The main content should always be rendered server-side before metadata to maximize ...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Web Performance Search Console

Should you remove the canonical tag instead of correcting an incorrect one using JavaScript?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Providing an incorrect canonical tag in the initial HTML and then correcting it via client-side JavaScript can, albeit rarely, create confusion for Google. It is better not to have a canonical than to have an incorrect one that will be modified after...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Should you add a noindex to JavaScript and CSS files?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Adding a noindex header to JavaScript or CSS files is generally not useful because these files are typically not indexed. This is not an issue, but not blocking these resources via robots.txt is more important to avoid rendering problems.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files

Can JavaScript code splitting really enhance your crawl budget and improve your Core Web Vitals?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

It is both possible and recommended to load JavaScript scripts only on the pages where they are used (for example, reCAPTCHA only on the contact form). The technique to look for is 'code splitting'.

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

Why are your Lighthouse mobile scores consistently lower than desktop?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Mobile Lighthouse scores are generally lower than desktop because mobile processors are less powerful and the connection is often slower. Mobile represents the smallest common denominator; it is more relevant to optimize for mobile than for desktop.

AI & SEO Mobile SEO Web Performance Search Console

Can poorly implemented lazy loading really make your images invisible to Google?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

If lazy loading only shows placeholder URLs in the rendered HTML instead of the actual image URLs, it indicates incorrect implementation and Google will not see the real images. Check the rendered HTML to ensure that the final image URLs appear there...

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Images & Videos Domain Name Web Performance Local Search

Is it true that client-side JavaScript rendering really harms Google indexing?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★★

Client-side rendered content through JavaScript (widgets, AJAX components) is visible and usable by the evergreen Googlebot, provided it appears in the final rendered HTML. There are no inherent issues with client-side rendering if the final result i...

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

Where can you find Google's official JavaScript SEO documentation?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Google maintains up-to-date and comprehensive documentation on JavaScript SEO in the Guides section of developers.google.com/search, including specific JavaScript SEO guides regularly updated by Martin Splitt.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files

Should you really unify the mobile, desktop, and AMP experience to avoid penalties?

Martin Splitt Jun 17, 2020 ★★

Using different user approaches for desktop, mobile, and AMP (e.g., layered navigation on mobile, standard URLs on desktop) is not inherently bad, but it unnecessarily complicates the site and increases the risk of problems with no clear benefit. It ...

AI & SEO Mobile SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure