What does Google say about SEO?

What happens when you merge two websites: Is cumulative traffic really guaranteed?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

Combining two websites can lead to an inevitable ranking adjustment. Google does not guarantee a simple sum of traffic from the old sites due to this merger. The impact can be positive, neutral, or negative depending on the new unified content.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Is it really necessary to add structured breadcrumbs on the homepage?

John Mueller Feb 21, 2020 ★★

Adding breadcrumb structured data on a homepage does not provide significant benefits as there is no breadcrumb path to a homepage.

Domain Age & History Structured Data AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

How can you efficiently identify and fix AMP errors in Search Console?

Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020 ★★★

When a site uses AMP, Google Search Console provides a report listing the detected AMP issues, helping to focus correction efforts on the most important tasks.

AI & SEO Mobile SEO Search Console

How does Google really validate AMP corrections after they've been made?

Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020 ★★★

Once AMP errors are corrected, it's important to request Google to validate the corrections through the AMP issues page. Validation can take several days, and progress notifications are sent via email.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Is the AMP Test Tool enough to ensure your pages are indexed by Google?

Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020 ★★

The AMP Test Tool allows you to test a specific page or check a code snippet for issues. However, this tool tests the overall implementation of AMP without specific information regarding indexing by Google.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Do AMP errors really block indexing on Google?

Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020 ★★★

AMP pages with an error cannot appear in Google search results, unlike pages with warnings that remain indexed but may not feature in rich results or the Top Stories carousel.

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

Should you really recycle exhausted product URLs to maintain PageRank?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

For replaced products, use the old URL for the new product and move the old product to an archive section to maintain the authority of the page and its visibility in search results.

Domain Age & History Content E-commerce Domain Name

Does schema.org markup really enhance natural SEO?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

Broader schema.org markup can help understand a page, but only certain properties lead to rich displays in search results. Make sure to use those that are documented and supported by Google.

Domain Age & History Structured Data AI & SEO PDF & Files

Why do major site migrations always seem to lead to ranking drops?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

During major migrations or restructurings, expect significant ranking fluctuations as Google needs to reassess the new structure of the site and its relevance.

Pagination & Structure Redirects

Do HTML5 semantic tags really impact Google rankings?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★

Google can understand the structure of a page without HTML5 tags. Using tags like or does not directly improve SEO ranking but promotes better overall readability.

Domain Age & History Discover & News AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Do you really need to split your sitemaps to manage a high-volume URL site?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

For websites with a large number of dynamic URLs, use segmented sitemaps to manage recent and stable content so that you don't submit the entire sitemap with every addition. An RSS feed can also be effective by sending updates more quickly.

Content Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Search Console

How often should you really submit your new URLs via sitemap to Google?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

It is recommended to submit new URLs to Google once a minute or every few minutes to avoid bombarding Google, while keeping URL reports reasonably up to date.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console

How does the Unavailable After header enhance the de-indexing of perishable content?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

For time-limited classified ads, use the "Unavailable After" header to inform Google of the expected expiration date, allowing for more efficient removal of the content from search results.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Can Automatically Translated Content Really Rank Without Penalty?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★★

Automatically translated content can be acceptable if the quality is high and understandable. However, you need to ensure quality before making it indexable as it could be viewed as low-value automatically generated content.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Why do Search Console and API data differ (and should you be worried)?

John Mueller Feb 18, 2020 ★★

Data aggregations in Search Console may slightly differ from the API results due to the distinct aggregation methods used, particularly with privacy filtering.

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

How can you craft a successful request for a review after a manual action without making mistakes?

John Mueller Feb 17, 2020 ★★★

When your site has been subjected to a manual action for spam, visit the webmaster help forums for advice on possible improvements and corrections. Once significant changes have been made, write a clear review request detailing the modifications made...

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam

How can you effectively recover from a manual penalty for Webspam?

John Mueller Feb 17, 2020 ★★★

If your site has received a manual action for web spam, it is advisable to visit webmaster support forums for suggestions on improvements to make. It is important to be transparent about the actions already taken to rectify the issues.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam

How can you write an effective reconsideration request after a Google manual penalty?

John Mueller Feb 17, 2020 ★★★

Once you have corrected the issues that led to a manual Webspam action, you must submit a detailed reconsideration request, clearly explaining the changes made. This request will be manually reviewed by the Webspam team.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam

How does Google really want us to optimize the SEO visibility of our websites?

Google Feb 12, 2020 ★★★

To enhance your site's visibility, use the right words and provide relevant information to your potential customers. Ensure that your site includes useful information such as inventory, prices, location, and hours. Create short and meaningful page ti...

Domain Age & History Content E-commerce AI & SEO Images & Videos Links & Backlinks

Is Search Console really enough to drive your SEO?

Google Feb 12, 2020 ★★★

Google recommends using Search Console, a free tool, to manage your website and monitor its performance. It sends notifications in case of issues, making it easier to focus on your business.

Web Performance Search Console