What does Google say about SEO?

Can A/B testing really harm your natural search ranking?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

A/B tests do not pose a problem for SEO. Googlebot does not use cookies, so it will potentially analyze each version without a pre-existing cookie. Use canonical tags to indicate the main version of a page and avoid negative impacts on search ranking...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing

Does server location really influence Google rankings?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

Generally, the server location has minimal impact on rankings if the loading time difference is measured in milliseconds. Speed, as long as it remains within normal limits, should not be a direct obstacle to international SEO.

AI & SEO Web Performance International SEO

Should you really give up national domains for a generic .com in international SEO?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Generic domains (like .com) can be geographically targeted in Search Console, which is not possible with country-specific domains (like .de, for example). To reach multiple countries, it is better to use a generic domain with local targeting settings...

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Local Search Search Console

Should you remove hreflang from noindex or redirecting pages?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

When hreflang code is applied to noindex or redirecting pages, Google ignores these specific pages in the hreflang linkage.

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

Can superfluous text on product pages harm your Google ranking?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Arbitrarily adding text to a product page to cover potential keywords does not benefit you. Google employs keyword stuffing algorithms to identify this type of unnecessary content and may refrain from ranking the page.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Content E-commerce AI & SEO

Can you really block your site from Google Discover in certain countries?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

Google Discover operates algorithmically and organically, and there is no manual method to block a Discover site in a specific country.

Algorithms Domain Age & History Discover & News

Should your alt text really describe the image rather than optimize your keywords?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Alt text should describe what the image shows, not include all the site's keywords. This helps users understand the images and does not benefit from merely including keywords.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Do e-commerce transactions actually influence Google rankings?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Purchases made by consumers on e-commerce sites are not utilized by Google as a ranking factor in organic search.

E-commerce

Should you really disavow all those 'toxic' backlinks?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Inappropriate or excessive use of Disavow files to remove natural backlinks can harm your ranking in search results.

Links & Backlinks PDF & Files Local Search

Do URLs and title tags really need to be chosen separately for effective SEO optimization?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

URL structure and title tags impact SEO in different ways. It is advisable to adopt a holistic approach rather than choosing one over the other.

Content AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure

Does Hreflang really protect against duplicate content across countries?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

If the same content is available in the same language for different countries, Google will often index them together and then attempt to distinguish them in search results for the appropriate audience.

Content Crawl & Indexing International SEO

Does Google really replace your meta descriptions with navigation content?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Google can replace the meta description with navigation content if it does not find a relevant match with the user's search. Ensure that your meta description aligns with specific queries.

Domain Age & History Content Pagination & Structure

Why does the mobile usability report only cover a sample of your pages?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

The mobile usability report in Search Console is based on a sample of pages rather than all the indexed pages of your site.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Mobile SEO Search Console

Why does Google crawl your site less after an algorithm update?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Crawl frequency may vary after algorithmic changes if the site is perceived as less relevant, or if the site becomes slower or returns server errors.

Algorithms Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Is Long-Term Stable Link Building a Red Flag for Google?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

If your 'long-term stable link building' strategy is seen as artificial by Google, it could cause problems with the algorithm.

Algorithms Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure

Migrating to a new platform: should you fear a negative impact on your rankings?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Changing your website's platform can have a positive or negative effect on your rankings due to potential structural or editorial changes.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Does duplicate content really harm your SEO rankings?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Google does not impose a penalty for duplicate content but may choose which version to show in search results.

Content AI & SEO

Can you really remove links from search results without affecting the index?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

The tool to suggest outdated links in the new Search Console allows you to temporarily remove pages from search results, but not from the index at all. For a permanent removal, you must use a 404 error code or a "noindex".

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Search Console

Should you really show Googlebot an ad-free version of your pages?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

It is acceptable to treat Googlebot as a premium user who sees ad-free pages if this aligns with the user experience, but it is advisable to limit this to content protected by a paywall.

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

Is it true that Site Search Box markup is really unnecessary for displaying the search box in Google?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★★

Site Search Box markup does not affect the display of the site search box in Google's search results. It mainly depends on user behavior rather than semantic markup.

Domain Age & History Local Search International SEO