What does Google say about SEO?

Is Voice Search Really Invisible in Search Console?

John Mueller Aug 05, 2019 ★★★

Second episode of the #AskGoogleWebmasters videos, which this time addresses the question of voice search within Search Console. John Mueller explains on this occasion that questions asked to Google Assistant (on smartphone or via a Google Home devic...

Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Web Performance Search Console

Is Negative SEO Real or Just a Myth Perpetuated by SEOs?

Google Aug 05, 2019 ★★

Frédéric Dubut (Bing) indicated on Twitter that, to date, he had not observed "any case where a change in search engine ranking would be attributable to Negative SEO alone".

AI & SEO Penalties & Spam Social Media

Do voice queries really appear in Search Console?

John Mueller Aug 01, 2019 ★★★

Voice queries used as a method of input via voice typing are recorded in Google Search Console like standard queries. However, queries processed by Google Assistant, which return responses in the form of snippets, are currently not recorded.

AI & SEO Search Console

Does Google Really Treat Redirect Loops as 404 Errors?

John Mueller Jul 29, 2019 ★★★

John Mueller explained on Twitter that Google ignores links that generate redirect loops (example: URL A redirects to URL B, which itself redirects to URL A, thus creating an infinite loop). These URLs are treated as 404s (broken links).

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Redirects Social Media

Why Is Keeping the Same URL as Long as Possible Crucial for Your SEO?

John Mueller Jul 29, 2019 ★★★

The same John Mueller, always on Twitter, has "really recommended keeping the same URL for a web page for as long as possible."

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Does creating valuable content really attract organic traffic?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Google highlights the importance of creating high-quality content that provides significant value to users. It is crucial for publishers to verify the type of content they wish to provide on the search engine versus what they prefer to keep solely on...

Content AI & SEO

Does mobile-first indexing really penalize your desktop version?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

With mobile-first indexing, Google will index the content seen on the mobile version of the site. If some information is only available on the desktop version, it will be included in the indexing, potentially impacting the displayed desktop version.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Does Google really filter your pages for duplicate content like you think?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Google views identical blocks of text on different pages as duplicate content. For searches that include this content, Google will select a few sites to display while filtering those with identical text.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Local Search

Should you really extract important text from alt tags to boost your SEO?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

John Mueller recommends that important text be visible in the body of the web page rather than only in image alt tags. This ensures better compatibility with rich snippets and good SEO.

Domain Age & History Content Structured Data Images & Videos

Should you really put all your outgoing links to nofollow to protect your PageRank?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Putting the nofollow attribute on all outgoing links does not improve a page's ranking. Google encourages the use of regular links to enhance your site's connection to the rest of the web and its overall relevance.

Domain Age & History Links & Backlinks

Is it really necessary to optimize canonical URLs to enhance crawl budget?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

To improve crawling efficiency, ensure that canonical URLs are correctly defined, including through redirects, canonical tags, and updating sitemaps to avoid duplication.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Redirects Search Console

Are 404 URLs really harmless for SEO?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

It is acceptable for a directory in a URL structure to lack its own content and lead to a 404 page. This does not affect the final page's performance in terms of SEO.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Web Performance Search Console

Is it true that image lazy loading is really compatible with Google's indexing?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Using JSON or jQuery for image lazy loading can work with Google as long as the setup allows Googlebot to load images during rendering. Testing with the mobile compatibility tool can be helpful to verify correct indexing.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO Web Performance

Should You Really Abandon Nofollow from Your Editorial Links?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Regular links should be used when you vouch for content. Nofollow is primarily reserved for advertising links or those whose credibility is uncertain.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Does display:none really harm your SEO?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Using 'display: none' to hide text specifically for keyword stuffing is not advisable. Legitimate use cases like tabbed interfaces are acceptable if the content is accessible upon interaction.

Domain Age & History Content Pagination & Structure Web Performance

Does Google really see outbound links as a ranking factor?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Links to other sites are a great way to provide added value to your users. They often allow users to discover more information, verify your sources, and better understand how your content relates to their questions.

Content Links & Backlinks Search Console

Should you really use rel=nofollow on all your sponsored links and comments?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

Be cautious with outbound links created as part of an arrangement, advertising, or in the comments on your site if the quality of the links seems uncertain. For these types of links, using the 'rel=nofollow' attribute is recommended.

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Is it true that you don't need special rules for outbound links?

John Mueller Jul 26, 2019 ★★★

In most cases, if you create links naturally from your content to other sites offering additional value and more context, no special treatment is necessary.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Why is Google launching an official channel to answer SEO questions?

John Mueller Jul 25, 2019 ★★★

Google is launching a new series of videos titled 'Ask Google Webmasters' to answer webmasters' questions about Google Search, our tools, and our related documentation and policies. Users can submit their questions on Twitter using the hashtag #AskGo...

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Should you really avoid changing your URLs to protect your SEO?

John Mueller Jul 23, 2019 ★★★

Google suggests keeping URLs stable over time to avoid the tedious management of constant redirects, which could impact the tracking of links on your site.

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