What does Google say about SEO?

Why isn't robots.txt a reliable security tool for your site?

Google Aug 16, 2019 ★★★

The robots.txt file should not be used to secure sensitive pages. Pages that must not be publicly accessible must be protected by security systems such as password authentication.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing PDF & Files

Should you really block your admin pages in robots.txt to save on crawl budget?

Google Aug 16, 2019 ★★★

It is wise to use robots.txt to restrict the indexing of unnecessary pages such as admin or calendar pages, in order to decrease unnecessary traffic to the server.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you really allow Googlebot to access your CSS and JavaScript?

Google Aug 16, 2019 ★★★

Avoid blocking resources like CSS or JavaScript files in your robots.txt file, as this can prevent search engines from properly rendering the website.

Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files

How can you effectively verify your robots.txt file to avoid crawl errors?

Google Aug 16, 2019 ★★★

To verify your site's robots.txt file, you can do so directly via your browser by accessing the dedicated URL or use the robots.txt testing tool in Google Search Console.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name PDF & Files Search Console

Do nofollow links really transmit zero PageRank?

John Mueller Aug 15, 2019 ★★★

When Google encounters links with the nofollow attribute, it takes note of them but does not send any signals, such as PageRank, to the target page of the link.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Why does Google display nofollow links in Search Console if they don't pass any signals?

John Mueller Aug 15, 2019 ★★★

In Google Search Console, nofollow links are shown in the links report alongside other links to your site, even though they do not transmit any signals.

Links & Backlinks Search Console

Is Word Count Really a Ranking Factor for Google?

John Mueller Aug 12, 2019 ★★

In a Reddit discussion, John Mueller indicated that "the number of words on a page is not a relevance criterion" for the search engine.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Does Google Really Index Parts of Pages or Always the Entire Content?

John Mueller Aug 12, 2019 ★★★

The same John Mueller indicated on Twitter that Google always indexes a page in its entirety and never "bits" or parts of HTML code.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Social Media

Are JavaScript Redirects Really Safe for Your SEO?

John Mueller Aug 12, 2019 ★★★

Third episode of the #AskGoogleWebmasters videos, which this time addresses the question of JavaScript redirects. John Mueller explains that Googlebot understands JS redirects well during its crawls and that it will reach the final URL pointed to by ...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects Search Console

How Can You Optimize SEO for Links Placed on Images?

John Mueller Aug 12, 2019 ★★★

John Mueller reminded us in a hangout that it's important, when a link is placed on an image, for that image to have an ALT attribute, so that anchor text is provided to the search engine, as if the link were on actual text...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos Links & Backlinks

Do H2 and H3 tags have an optimal number for SEO?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★★

Google does not consider an optimal number of H2 or H3 header tags per page. What matters is that your markup reflects the logical structure of the content and helps search engines understand the organization of the information.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Does relevant content really suffice to rank well without technical optimization?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★★

To achieve favorable rankings, it is essential to create relevant and useful content for users rather than focusing on superficial technical optimizations.

Content AI & SEO

Should you really report your competitors' unnatural links?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★★

Google encourages reporting unnatural linking practices through the spam form to address these behaviors. A mass report can be submitted if necessary.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam Search Console

Should you duplicate hreflang tags between desktop and mobile in a Mobile-First world?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★★

For a Mobile-First setup, even with dynamic serving, use the same hreflang tags for both desktop and mobile versions.

AI & SEO Mobile SEO International SEO

Why does Google crawl your pages without indexing them?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★

High-quality content makes exclusion after crawl unlikely. However, various causes beyond quality can explain a lack of indexing.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

How does Google really handle multiple sitemaps and their URL order?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★★

Google treats each sitemap as a data source. The content is stored before actions are taken based on the natural order of URLs in each sitemap.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name PDF & Files Search Console

Could a manual penalty arise from using an incorrect schema.org Organization Name?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★

It is imperative to maintain correct and precise data in the schema markup to avoid manual corrective actions.

Domain Age & History Structured Data AI & SEO

How does Google really manage crawling for duplicate URLs pointing to different products?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★

Google is developing solutions to properly address identical URLs targeting different products, using unique meta-mechanisms for each item wherever possible.

Crawl & Indexing Discover & News E-commerce Domain Name

Does Google Maps really depend on user behavior for local visibility?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★

The functionality of Google Maps in search results is influenced by the entered keywords as well as by the examined user behavior.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Local Search International SEO

Why do incorrect local addresses sabotage your local SEO?

Google Aug 09, 2019 ★★★

Any incorrect indication of businesses or fictitious addresses on Google Maps should be avoided as it can lead to decreased credibility and SEO issues.

AI & SEO Local Search