What does Google say about SEO?

What should you know about WMConf Lightning Talks for your SEO strategy?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

This year, the Google Webmaster Conference Lightning Talks will feature shortened but information-rich presentations that typically take place during our live conferences. These conferences will be subtitled in many languages and delivered by members...

AI & SEO International SEO

Do H1 and H2 tags really influence Google rankings?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

It's recommended to properly use heading level tags, like H1 and H2, so that Google can understand your page structure. This also aids user comprehension and is beneficial for accessibility.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Should you really disregard meta tags on 404 pages?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

When a page returns a 404 error, Google ignores all the content on the page, including tags like noindex. The page will only be considered non-indexed based on the 404 code.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing

Is it really necessary to configure URL parameters in Search Console?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★

In cases of massive use of URL parameters, configure them in Search Console to indicate their importance. Google generally learns these parameters, but configuring them can help, especially during recent changes or on new sites.

AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console

Do machine translations really harm organic search rankings?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

Machine translations are problematic when they produce low-quality content. Google may regard this content as irrelevant in search results if the text is difficult to understand.

Content AI & SEO International SEO

Should you really be worried about mobile-first indexing arriving amidst a health crisis?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

Google is deciding whether the rollout of mobile-first indexing for all sites will be delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis. Stakeholders are invited to share their potential difficulties on Twitter.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Social Media

Do you really need to audit the history of an expired domain before buying it?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

It is crucial to conduct preliminary research on a domain before purchasing it, especially if it has been used before. This includes checking for manual actions or problematic past content.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Does hreflang really work between separate domains without shared geo-targeting?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

For multilingual setups, hreflang allows the connection of pages across different domains without the content residing on the same principal domain. Each domain uses its own geo-targeting settings.

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

Should you prioritize geo-targeting or hreflang for your website?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★

Geo-targeting helps to locally target users, while hreflang assists in swapping the displayed URL according to language preferences. Although they are related, they serve distinct objectives.

AI & SEO Domain Name Local Search International SEO

Does crawl depth really influence your page rankings?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

Google generally places more importance on crawling pages that are nearer to the homepage, as this page is often considered the most important. It's recommended to ensure that the pages you deem important are visually and structurally highlighted on ...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Images & Videos Pagination & Structure

Should you really limit the Review markup to the main item on the page?

John Mueller Apr 15, 2020 ★★★

Review tags should be applied to the main item of the page when using structured data markup. It's crucial to follow the guidelines to ensure that the data is displayed in the SERPs.

Domain Age & History Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Does Googlebot really submit your forms on its own?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★★

Googlebot can sometimes automatically submit forms, potentially generating a multitude of new URLs with parameters. This can lead to increased crawling activity if the server can support the load.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Does the URL structure of your AMP pages really impact your SEO?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★★

For AMP pages, Google recommends that the pages be on the same domain, whether on a subdomain or a subdirectory. This does not affect SEO, but it is important to maintain a stable structure over time.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure

Should you really set all guest article links to nofollow?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★★

Guest articles containing links to your site must have nofollow links, as they are considered non-natural. This avoids potential spam concerns.

Discover & News JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

Should you really eliminate all internal redirects from your site?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★★

Google suggests linking directly to the destination final URL rather than through redirects. This enhances speed for users and optimizes crawling.

Crawl & Indexing Domain Name Web Performance Redirects

Why does Google hide the queries for your new URLs in the Search Console?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★

New URLs with 5 to 10 impressions may not show query data due to privacy filters. More impressions will enhance query visibility over time.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Web Performance

Do lastmod tags in sitemaps really affect crawling?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★★

Including last modification dates in sitemap files is recommended, as it helps prioritize pages for crawling. The absence of these tags for certain URLs has no negative effect.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name PDF & Files Search Console

Why doesn’t Google show backlinks to your 404 pages in Search Console?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★

Google does not display links to 404 pages in Search Console because these links are removed when processed.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Local Search Search Console

Does mobile-first indexing really ignore the desktop version of your site?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★★

With mobile-first indexing, only the mobile version of a site is used for indexing. The desktop version is occasionally checked for relevant links.

Crawl & Indexing Links & Backlinks Mobile SEO

Should you disallow indexing of your low-traffic pages to boost your SEO?

John Mueller Apr 09, 2020 ★★

Disallowing pages with few impressions might not have a significant impact on overall SEO. The decision should be based on the perceived usefulness of the pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console