What does Google say about SEO?

Why can the placement of the Google Tag Manager code block Search Console verification?

Daniel Waisberg Dec 11, 2019 ★★★

Before verification, ensure that the Google Tag Manager tag is present immediately after the opening body tag of the homepage. If there is anything between the two, the verification will fail.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO

Are you curious about how to verify your site's ownership in Search Console using Google Analytics?

Google Dec 11, 2019 ★★★

To verify your site in Search Console using Google Analytics tracking code, you need to have a Google Analytics account linked to the same Google account, with at least editing rights. The tracking code must be added in the head section of your homep...

Domain Age & History Search Console

How can you automatically verify a Blogger blog in Search Console without manual validation?

Google Dec 11, 2019 ★★★

To automatically verify your Blogger site in Google Search Console, log in with the same account that you use to manage your blog, add your site's URL under the URL prefix option, and click Continue.

Domain Name Search Console

Is it really necessary to return a 404 or 410 status to block the crawling of URLs on a hacked site?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

To get Googlebot to stop crawling URLs on a hacked site, it is recommended to configure them to return a 404 or 410 status code. This allows Google to reduce the crawling frequency of these obsolete URLs.

Crawl & Indexing Domain Name

Should you really separate adult content from the rest to avoid SafeSearch penalties?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

If a site contains both adult and non-adult content, it is advisable to separate them by subdomains or directories. This helps Google to correctly filter content under SafeSearch without affecting other contents.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Could diversifying content categories harm your Google ranking?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

The expansion of a site's content category (for example, from books to CDs) should not negatively affect rankings, as long as content quality is preserved.

Content AI & SEO

Does leasing subdomains really harm your main site's ranking?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★

Including unrelated content, such as reviews or coupons, on the same domain can make it difficult for Google to understand the main focus of a site, which can harm its ranking.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Local Search

Are tracking parameters in your URLs sabotaging your crawl budget?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

Using tracking parameters in product URLs without a visible direct link to the canonical versions can affect crawl budget and lead to indexing of parameterized versions.

Crawl & Indexing E-commerce Links & Backlinks Domain Name

Are Google Search Console's false positives really indicating a hack on your site?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★

Injected content warnings may sometimes be due to sensitive keywords or bot behaviors, even if the site is not truly compromised.

Content Pagination & Structure

Should you really return a 404 or 410 on hacked URLs to speed up their de-indexing?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

To reduce the number of invalid URLs after an attack, return a 404 or 410 code. Googlebot will stop exploring them after determining they are no longer valuable.

Crawl & Indexing Domain Name

Should you really limit Googlebot's crawl on your server?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

Limit Googlebot's requests if your server is experiencing too many requests. This will help Googlebot prioritize crawling important URLs.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Does the URL Removal Tool really de-index your pages?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

The URL Removal Tool does not de-index content but temporarily hides it from search results. It remains essential to manage 404s to stop crawling.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Should you really separate adult content from general content to avoid SafeSearch penalties?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

Organize adult content and general content into separate subdomains or folders so that Google can effectively apply the SafeSearch filter. This allows for better management of your site's ranking.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Can you really expand a website's theme without impacting its current SEO performance?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

Adding a new category like CDs to a site dedicated to books can be beneficial. It will not negatively affect your ranking if the quality of your content is maintained.

Content AI & SEO

Do subdirectories really suffice to target local markets?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★

It is possible to target specific regions with subdirectories on a generic domain. It works well for differentiating local markets.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name International SEO

Could leasing your subdomains actually ruin your organic search rankings?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

Placing irrelevant content on an existing site, like coupons on a news site, complicates your site's recognition by Google and can negatively impact its ranking.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

Do you really need to manage two different HTTP codes for deindexing?

Martin Splitt Dec 10, 2019 ★★

A 410 code informs Google that the content has been permanently removed, which can speed up its deindexing. However, the difference in effect compared to a 404 code is often minimal.

Content Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security Search Console

How can you manage URL parameters without diluting your crawl budget?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

The URL parameter management tool helps Google ignore certain parameters that do not impact content, thus improving the crawling and indexing of priority pages.

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

Is it true that Google displays a different URL than the one it canonizes internationally?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

For international sites with similar content for different markets, it is common for Google to choose a canonical URL while still showing the appropriate URL through hreflang in search results.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name International SEO

Does geotargeting via subdirectories really work on a generic domain?

John Mueller Dec 10, 2019 ★★★

You can use geotargeting in Search Console to target different directories of a generic domain to specific countries.

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