What does Google say about SEO?

Do meta descriptions really influence SEO rankings or just the CTR?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★

The indirect impact of poor meta descriptions does not affect ranking. However, poor descriptions can influence the number of user clicks on your links.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Is Infinite Scrolling a Trap for Google Indexing?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

When using infinite scrolling, it is crucial to have accessible paginated versions. Googlebot will index a long version but needs links to the next pages to explore everything.

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

Can optimizing titles and descriptions really boost your Google ranking?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★

Changing a title or a description to make the results more appealing doesn’t necessarily improve ranking, as the CTR is not a direct signal for ranking.

Content AI & SEO

Should you consolidate product variations onto a single page or spread them out?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

It is preferable to group similar product variations on a single page rather than having multiple similar pages, in order to avoid competition between your own pages.

Domain Age & History E-commerce AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Is internal duplicate content really harmless for your e-commerce?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

Internal duplicate content, such as similar product descriptions, is generally not problematic for Google unless it comes from copying other sites.

Content E-commerce AI & SEO

Is the title really a weak ranking signal as Google claims?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

Page titles are used as a slight ranking signal. Ensure that the title is relevant to the targeted search.

Domain Age & History Content

Should you really moderate user-generated content to protect your SEO?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

User-generated content must be of good quality. Publishers must moderate this content to ensure it does not harm the reputation of the site.

Content Crawl & Indexing

Should you block the indexing of Javascript files with noindex?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

Javascript files called by a page are not indexed independently, but to avoid unwanted indexing, you can use an x-robots-tag: noindex.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files

Should you really crawl your own site before rolling out major SEO changes?

John Mueller Oct 17, 2019 ★★★

Conduct tests with your own crawling to see how Googlebot explores your site after changes, especially if you are implementing techniques like infinite scrolling.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why don’t SEO tools and Google Analytics show the same impacts after a Core Update?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★

Changes in visibility following core updates can vary depending on websites. This phenomenon is attributed to how visibility measurement tools interpret data compared to our own analysis in Search Console or Analytics.

Search Console

Should you really worry about your backlinks and use a disavow file?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★★

If you have no specific reason to worry about your backlinks, for example, if no link purchases have taken place, there’s no need to excessively stress about them. Periodically review your backlinks and use the disavow file only when problematic patt...

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks PDF & Files

Should you really use noindex to control the visibility of internal content?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★

It can be wise to use the noindex attribute to differentiate content you want to index from that you prefer to keep out of the index. This can help experiment with the internal visibility of certain content without completely removing it from your si...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you really isolate sensitive content in separate subdomains?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★★

It's not always necessary to move content to a separate subdomain or directory for varied content such as coupons if the site is organized correctly to differentiate SafeSearch content.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Does white label content really harm your Google indexing?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★★

The main issue with white label content is often the inability of our systems to discern the different parts of a site. It is recommended to clearly separate content sections for better indexing and presence in search results.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Do you really need to register with Google News to appear on Discover?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★

Although Discover uses sources similar to Google News, there are no special criteria regarding meta tags or mandatory registration with Google News to appear on Discover. The content must be relevant and engaging for users.

Content Discover & News AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

How can you optimize for Google Discover without targeting keywords?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★

Achieving visibility in Google Discover is not about keyword optimization but about monitoring which topics resonate with users. A focus on relevancy and user engagement can lead to better performance in Discover.

Domain Age & History Content Discover & News Web Performance Search Console

Should you really use the 410 code instead of the 404 to speed up deindexing?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★

There is a difference between 404 and 410 errors. A 410 error is processed faster for removal from the index because it indicates a permanent deletion. However, using the Google removal tool is more efficient for quick withdrawals.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Should you really monitor all your backlinks, or is Google overstating the risk?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★★

Don't worry excessively about backlinks unless you are aware of link purchases or similar techniques. Check them occasionally and use the disavow file for identified problematic patterns.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks PDF & Files

Does Google really treat user-generated content like editorial content?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★★

Google does not make a major distinction between user-generated content and content created by the site owner. All published content is examined for indexing and ranking.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you use noindex to test content before indexing it?

John Mueller Oct 16, 2019 ★★

It is possible to use the noindex tag to manage content that you do not necessarily want to index while monitoring user interaction with that content on your site.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO