What does Google say about SEO?

Is it true that mobile accordion hidden content is indexed as visible content?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

With Mobile-First Indexing, hidden content within mobile accordions is indeed recognized by Google. The handling of accordion content on PC no longer impacts indexing as Google now crawls with the mobile Googlebot.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Why does Search Console still show 'PC Googlebot' on recent sites when Mobile-First Index is supposed to be the standard?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

Newly indexed sites since July 2019 are supposed to be on Mobile-First Index by default. If Search Console shows 'PC Googlebot', it’s likely a display bug in the interface, not a real issue. Check server logs for confirmation.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Mobile SEO Local Search Search Console

Are Search Console tools really enough to solve your indexing problems?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★

To resolve indexing issues, check the registration in Search Console, submit an indexing request via the URL Inspection Tool, and send an XML sitemap. If the problem persists, provide detailed screenshots.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name PDF & Files Search Console

Is it really necessary to combine both 301 redirections AND canonical tags for an HTTPS migration?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

During an HTTP to HTTPS migration, it is essential to implement both 301 redirections AND canonical tags pointing to HTTPS to clearly indicate to Google which version is canonical.

Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security AI & SEO Redirects

Why does Google emphasize textual context in Search Console feedback?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★

When sending Search Console feedback, attach a detailed textual explanation in addition to the screenshots. The Search Console team can use Google Translate to understand Japanese if English is impossible.

Content AI & SEO Search Console

Should you choose a subdomain or a new domain for launching a service?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

To launch a new service, choose between a subdomain and a new domain based on user experience, not presumed SEO gains. Optimizing for SEO from the outset often leads to strategic regrets later.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Do Google penalties really spread between domains and subdomains?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★

Google does not reveal whether manual or algorithmic penalties propagate between the main domain and subdomains, to avoid exposing anti-spam methods. Avoid creating content that risks manual action.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Penalties & Spam

Should you really overlook PageRank when deciding between a domain and a subdomain?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★

Do not structure domains/subdomains based on presumed PageRank or internal/external links. Choose the architecture based on user logic. Services started in a subdomain sometimes surpass the main domain.

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

Should you really be worried about duplicate content from scraping?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

If content is copied by scraping/hacking sites, the original site is unlikely to be penalized for duplication. Submit the URLs of hacked sites via Spam Report for Google to process them quickly.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Penalties & Spam

Is it really necessary to report spam URL by URL to assist Google?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★

Although tedious, submitting each spam URL through the report form helps Google detect patterns and remove spam networks at scale. Each report contributes to improving anti-spam systems.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Penalties & Spam Search Console

Why does Google refuse to show your FAQs in rich results despite perfect markup?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

The display of FAQs in rich results is determined by the algorithm, not the webmaster. If the markup is correct and error-free in Search Console, no further action is possible. Content quality remains the only lever.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Search Console

Can you really add a FAQ just to get the rich result without risking penalties?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

Adding a legitimate FAQ section to achieve the rich result is acceptable, as long as the FAQ content is genuinely useful and unique per page. Avoid mechanically reused FAQs across hundreds of pages or ones that only serve as disguised advertising.

Domain Age & History Content Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Should you still optimize rel=next/prev tags for pagination?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

Google no longer uses rel=next/prev tags for pagination. There is no specific signal to send. All paginated pages can be indexed normally. The XML sitemap should contain important pages, not necessarily all paginated pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files Search Console

Should you really index all category pages to optimize your crawl budget?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★★

Google does not recommend using noindex on category or listing pages to optimize crawl. Google prefers to crawl and index all pages to understand the site structure and display the most relevant pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Pagination & Structure Local Search

Does the number of JavaScript files really slow down Google indexing?

金谷武明 Jun 04, 2020 ★★

Google renders all JavaScript files on a page in a single rendering pass, not file by file. The number of JS files does not proportionally increase the rendering delay in the indexing process.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files

Why doesn't your homepage always show up first in a site: query?

John Mueller May 29, 2020 ★★

For site: queries, Google has no defined order for displaying results. It's common but not guaranteed to see the homepage first. Its absence does not indicate a problem if the page normally ranks for its keywords. The site: query filters out duplicat...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Local Search

Can you really display different content on mobile and desktop without facing penalties?

John Mueller May 29, 2020 ★★★

Google indexes the mobile version of the content. Displaying slightly different content between mobile and desktop is acceptable, unless it is malicious cloaking (e.g., comics on mobile, adult content on desktop). Shortening text on mobile or adding ...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Mobile SEO Pagination & Structure Penalties & Spam Local Search

Is geographic cloaking really allowed by Google?

John Mueller May 29, 2020 ★★★

Serving different content by country is not cloaking if all users in a given country (including Googlebot crawling from the USA) see the same version. Cloaking only refers to the act of serving specific content to search engines versus regular users.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Penalties & Spam Local Search

How do you set up hreflang and x-default for geographic 301 redirects without losing indexing?

John Mueller May 29, 2020 ★★

Redirecting users from one country to a different domain (with a canonical link to the main domain) is possible. Using hreflang with x-default for the redirect page helps Google understand the structure. Google crawls from the USA, so the region-spec...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects International SEO

Why does Google sometimes ignore your rel=canonical tag?

John Mueller May 29, 2020 ★★★

Google does not guarantee indexing the URL indicated by rel=canonical. Canonicalization combines multiple signals: redirects, rel canonical, internal and external links, sitemaps, and other factors. If numerous signals point to the Russian version, G...

Crawl & Indexing Links & Backlinks Domain Name Redirects Search Console