What does Google say about SEO?

How does Google really choose the representative URL to index?

Allan Scott Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

When selecting representative URLs for indexing, Google avoids hacking and takes into account user experience, such as security and secure dependencies.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Domain Name

How do conflicting canonical signals sabotage your indexing?

Allan Scott Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Avoid conflicting canonical signals, such as a 301 redirect pointing in the opposite direction of a rel=canonical tag. Maintain clear signals to achieve desired results.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Redirects

How does Google truly identify duplicate pages on your site?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

To identify duplicate pages, Google checks the content while ignoring repetitive, value-less parts like boilerplate. 'Soft' errors can disrupt this identification, so it's advisable to return appropriate HTTP errors.

Domain Age & History Content HTTPS & Security

Are rel=canonical tags really a reliable signal for managing clustering?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Rel=canonical tags are used to indicate which URL should be considered as representative in a cluster of duplicate pages. However, it is important to ensure they are configured correctly to avoid errors where all pages are inadvertently pointed to th...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Can localized content really be seen as duplicate content by Google?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Localized pages are generally not subject to deduplication if the content is genuinely different. However, pages that only contain localized boilerplate can be considered duplicates. Use hreflang to indicate the correct localized versions.

Domain Age & History Content Local Search International SEO

How does Google determine the canonical URL among a cluster of similar pages?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

To choose the representative URL in a cluster, Google employs a machine learning system that takes into account various signals such as site security, secure dependencies, and the configurability of the page to avoid directing users to poor experienc...

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Domain Name

What happens when your canonical signals contradict each other?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

It is crucial to maintain unambiguous canonical signals. Instances where a 301 redirect contradicts a rel=canonical tag can lead the system to seek out another representative URL, which is undesirable.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Should search result previews always mirror the user's exact query?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Search result previews must be relevant to the user's query. Each element, such as the title and snippet, is designed to reflect this relevance.

Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Search Console

How does Google choose which images to display in the SERPs?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Images can assist users in choosing between different results. Google algorithmically extracts relevant images to display next to search results, thereby improving user experience.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Images & Videos Local Search

How does Google generate sitelinks, and is your site structure preventing them from appearing?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Google uses the organization of the site and generates internal links, known as 'sitelinks', to help users navigate more easily to relevant pages within a site. This requires a well-defined site structure to maximize the impact of sitelinks.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure

Does structural markup for forums really enhance user engagement?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★

It is advisable to use structured markup to help Google identify and display forum content. This enhances user engagement by allowing them to immediately understand the nature of the proposed content.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Local Search

Are rich preview formats really neutral for ranking?

Google Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Google offers a variety of preview formats, including videos, tables, and lists, to help accurately reflect page content and support the web ecosystem.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Web Performance

Is Google Really Adapting Its Algorithms in Times of Crisis?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Google is trying to adapt its algorithms to provide relevant and reliable information to users when necessary, especially in crisis situations where user expectations are higher.

Algorithms AI & SEO

Is it really enough to rely on the DMCA to protect your stolen content from duplicate content?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

If content is stolen and reproduced, the DMCA process can be a solution to address the issue of duplicate content. Google also analyzes spam reports but does not necessarily take manual action on each of them.

Content E-commerce AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam Search Console

Should you really place the schema.org publisher markup on every page of your site?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★

The schema.org publisher tag does not need to be present on every page of a site, only on important pages like the homepage or contact page. For articles, the schema.org article markup should be used on all paginated pages if relevant.

Domain Age & History Discover & News Structured Data

Do you really need 1200px images to get featured in Google Discover?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Google Discover demands high-quality images that are at least 1200 pixels wide. A max-image-preview large meta tag can be used to allow Google to display large images, even without AMP.

Domain Age & History Discover & News Images & Videos Mobile SEO Local Search

Can JavaScript turn your unique pages into duplicate content in Google's eyes?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Googlebot could interpret pages as duplicate content if JavaScript is not properly processed to provide unique content. Use testing tools to check and resolve these technical issues.

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

Does Google really read image content to rank them?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Google primarily uses the context of the HTML page to understand and rank images, based on surrounding text, ALT attributes, and usage in the page. Google does not view the content of images.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos

Should you really be concerned about accumulating 404 errors in the Search Console?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Deleted pages on a site should return a 404 error code or redirect to accurately indicate their absence. This is normal and expected in the Search Console and does not negatively impact ranking.

Domain Age & History HTTPS & Security Search Console

Are no-follow links truly ignored by Google when it comes to crawling?

John Mueller Mar 31, 2020 ★★★

Links with a no-follow attribute can still be followed by Google depending on the case. JavaScript links with on-click handlers are not considered links by Google during JavaScript rendering.

JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks