What does Google say about SEO?

Is post-prerendering JavaScript really safe for SEO?

John Mueller Mar 16, 2020 ★★★

After the prerendering of a page, it is perfectly acceptable to use JavaScript to improve interactivity or add dynamic elements. It does not negatively affect SEO as long as the main content remains accessible.

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

Is dynamic rendering really on its way out in SEO?

Martin Splitt Mar 16, 2020 ★★★

Server-side rendering and prerendering are unlikely to disappear, as they enable the rapid delivery of HTML content to users and crawlers. Dynamic rendering is temporary and may be abandoned in the long run.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you really prioritize SSR and prerendering to enhance your crawl efficiency?

Martin Splitt Mar 16, 2020 ★★

Prerendering and server-side rendering are useful techniques as they allow quick access to content for users and bots, thus reducing the long-term need for dynamic rendering.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

How does Google truly select the snippets displayed in search results?

Google Mar 11, 2020 ★★★

Google automatically generates search result snippets based on the content that best matches the user's search. Thus, a page can display different snippets depending on the searches.

Domain Age & History Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Local Search Search Console

Can you really control what Google displays in its snippets?

Google Mar 11, 2020 ★★★

As a website owner, you can influence the content of Google snippets through rich results and meta description tags, although Google may choose alternatives based on the user's query.

Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Images & Videos

Is it really necessary to customize every page title and description to rank?

Google Mar 11, 2020 ★★★

It is important to use distinct titles and descriptions for each page to better inform users and help differentiate results in Google searches. This avoids vague or redundant titles and descriptions.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Do All Your Hreflang URLs Really Need to Be Crawled and Indexed for Google to Recognize Them?

Gary Illyes Mar 09, 2020 ★★★

Gary Illyes explained on Reddit that for a site's Hreflang tags to be fully taken into consideration, all URLs referenced by these tags must be crawled and indexed.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure International SEO

Do You Really Need an XML Sitemap to Improve Your SEO Rankings?

Google Mar 09, 2020 ★★★

In a video on the YouTube channel for webmasters dedicated to XML Sitemaps, Googler Daniel Waisberg explains that these files are primarily interesting in 3 or 4 cases: if the site is very large, if certain pages are isolated in the architecture, and...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files Search Console

Do HTTP Links in Your Pages Really Hurt Your SEO Rankings?

John Mueller Mar 09, 2020 ★★★

John Mueller confirmed on Twitter that linking to an HTTP address (rather than HTTPS) from a page poses no problems for Google. The impact was the same as for an HTTPS link.

Domain Age & History Content HTTPS & Security AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure Social Media

Does Logo Placement in HTML Actually Affect SEO Rankings?

John Mueller Mar 09, 2020 ★★★

A surprising question was asked to John Mueller about whether the placement of a company logo on a web page could influence its SEO. John Mueller and Gary Illyes responded with a clear no 🙂

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Are image alt tags truly essential for SEO?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

Image alt attributes are considered both for the overall SEO of the web page and for ranking in image search. However, their absence is not critical for the general positioning of a page.

Domain Age & History Images & Videos

Should you really be cautious about repeated slogans and internal links on every page?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★

The use of a slogan or text containing keywords appearing on every page of a site is normal and poses no issue in Google's eyes.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Does a duplicated H1 across multiple pages really harm SEO?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★

While using the same H1 across multiple pages isn't ideal, it probably won't affect the site's visibility in search results. However, it's advisable to adapt the model if possible, whenever changes are already planned.

Domain Age & History Content JavaScript & Technical SEO

Does hreflang really prevent Google from merging your international versions?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

In cases of similar content, Google can merge versions for indexing, even with hreflang. Ensure that the pages are sufficiently different to avoid merging and display a message suggesting the correct version of the site to the user.

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

Does partial adult content really harm a site's SEO?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

If a small part of a site is dedicated to adult content, it does not affect its overall ranking unless a significant portion violates SafeSearch algorithms.

Algorithms Content

Are backlinks really becoming a secondary ranking factor?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

While links are a factor in our ranking algorithms, there are many others. Mass purchasing of links does not necessarily provide a benefit since we can choose to ignore them.

Algorithms AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Does Google really track all your chained redirects?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

Google follows up to 5 redirects at a time during a crawl session. It's best to limit redirect chains to speed up access to your content.

Content Crawl & Indexing Redirects

Will technical SEO truly remain at the heart of search engine optimization?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★

SEO will remain relevant, with ongoing importance for URLs and proper technical configuration, while also needing to meet changing user expectations.

Content Domain Name

Do Schema.org rich snippets really improve your CTR if Google deems them unnecessary?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

For Google to display rich snippets, they must provide added value to users, not just beautify the search result without informative benefits.

Domain Age & History Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Local Search

Does user-centered quality really satisfy Google's demands?

John Mueller Mar 06, 2020 ★★★

For Google, content quality is determined by its relevance and uniqueness to the user. Focusing efforts on user feedback rather than algorithm functioning is essential.

Algorithms Content