What does Google say about SEO?

Can publishing third-party content really harm your entire site in Google?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Webmasters who publish third-party content remain responsible for the overall quality of their site. Google may rank sites that contain a mix of inappropriate quality content less favorably.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Local Search International SEO

Is it true that your images are all indexable without a robots.txt file?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★

The absence of robots.txt files means Google can crawl images. An image redirection can lead to restrictions if the redirected destination is blocked.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos PDF & Files Redirects

Can subdirectories really target multiple countries effectively on a generic TLD?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★

To target specific countries with a generic domain (TLD .com), subdirectories can be configured in Search Console for precise geographic assignment.

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

Are spam backlinks truly ignored by Google?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Links from sites considered spam by Google are generally ignored by its algorithms. The Disavow file can be used to indicate which links should not be taken into account.

Algorithms JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks PDF & Files Penalties & Spam

Why does Google's removal of self-assessment stars change the game for rich snippets?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★

Rating stars for organizations evaluating their own sites no longer appear in search results. This policy applies regardless of the method used to integrate these evaluations.

Local Search

Why does Google take so long to update logos in search results?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★

Logo changes can take time to be reflected in search results. Google generally takes longer to process these updates.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really include the modification date in your XML sitemap?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Indicating a modification date for each URL in sitemap files allows Google to better understand when to re-scan content. Using a generic date for all URLs is less effective.

Content Crawl & Indexing Domain Name PDF & Files Search Console

Does robots.txt really block indexing in Google?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★

Google can still suggest URLs in search results even if they are blocked by robots.txt, mainly if they are important for users, as illustrated by the AdWords login page.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Domain Name

Should you really create dedicated pages for each video?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★

Creating a dedicated video page allows Google to clearly treat it as a video landing page, which can influence its specific display in video search results.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Images & Videos

How will the new Google Search Console interface impact your SEO strategies?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Google Search Console has recently taken a significant step forward with a new interface, replacing the old homepage and dashboard with new tools. This transition aims to allow the service to focus on interesting new features for sites.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Search Console

Can Google really display snippets for press publishers in France without explicit permission?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

For search results in France, Google does not show text or image previews for sites marked as press publishers unless explicitly allowed to do so via specific meta tags.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Do Core Updates really reset website rankings completely?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Google's core algorithm updates do not imply a complete reset of rankings. The algorithms are adjusted regularly, and sites can be affected differently during each update.

Algorithms Domain Age & History

Can the Quality Rater Guidelines actually improve the rankings of medical sites?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Medical sites can benefit from consulting Google's Quality Rater Guidelines to align their content with quality expectations, although these raters do not directly affect rankings.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Can meta tags really control how snippets appear in Google News?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

European news publishers can control the display of text and image snippets in France with meta tags, particularly as a result of European legislative changes.

Domain Age & History Content Discover & News Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really differentiate between rel=sponsored and rel=ugc for your outbound links?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Google has introduced two new attributes for outbound links: rel=sponsored for advertisements and partnerships, and rel=ugc for user-generated content. These attributes are considered hints to help discover new pages and understand the web.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Are Google’s new meta tags really giving you control over your search previews?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2019 ★★★

Google has announced new meta tags that allow publishers to define the amount of preview content shown in search results. These tags cover the number of characters, the size of image previews, and the duration of videos.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Can a server migration really be invisible to Google?

John Mueller Sep 24, 2019 ★★★

During a server migration where everything remains identical (URLs, content, CMS), Google sees this as an event with no major consequences for SEO. The main requirement is to ensure that everything remains unchanged except for the IP address.

Content Domain Name Redirects

Does Googlebot really adjust its crawl rate during a server migration?

John Mueller Sep 24, 2019 ★★★

During a server migration, Googlebot automatically adjusts the crawl frequency to avoid overwhelming the new server. This process occurs automatically: Googlebot initially reduces its crawl speed and then gradually returns to an appropriate pace.

Crawl & Indexing Web Performance Redirects

Are Search Console performance reports truly essential for driving your SEO?

Google Sep 23, 2019 ★★★

Search performance reports in Google Search Console are crucial for understanding how often your site appears in search results and how many clicks it receives. This information helps track traffic trends and optimize your site's SEO.

AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

Is Google Search Console really essential for driving your SEO?

Google Sep 23, 2019 ★★★

Google Search Console is an essential tool for checking your site's performance in Google search results. It allows you to track errors, page coverage information, and the evolution of search performance to optimize your site.

Domain Age & History Web Performance Search Console