What does Google say about SEO?

Should you really abandon dynamic rendering for SSR?

Zoe Clifford May 10, 2019 ★★

Dynamic rendering is a short-term workaround for sites where bots cannot execute JavaScript, but in the long run, it's better to switch to server-side rendering (SSR) or SSR with hydration.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Does scroll-triggered lazy loading really prevent Googlebot from indexing your content?

Zoe Clifford May 10, 2019 ★★★

Using lazy loading based solely on scrolling may not load content with Googlebot, as it does not interact with pages in the same way as users.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos Web Performance

Is it true that Googlebot really ignores all cookies between requests?

Zoe Clifford May 10, 2019 ★★★

Googlebot does not retain cookies between two requests, meaning it views the page as a logged-out user.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing

What are the implications of Googlebot denying API permissions for your site's crawlability?

Zoe Clifford May 10, 2019 ★★★

Browser APIs requiring permissions, such as geolocation or webcam access, are denied by Googlebot.

Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search International SEO

Is structured data really a ranking booster or just a gimmick for Google?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★★

Structured data helps Google better understand your site's content, particularly with markup for FAQs and practical guides.

Domain Age & History Content Structured Data AI & SEO

Are the speed reports in Search Console really reliable for optimizing your Core Web Vitals?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★★

Google utilizes the Chrome User Experience Report to provide site speed data in Search Console, but the general availability of these features is still taking time to be deployed.

AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

Is Googlebot evergreen: how does switching to an always-up-to-date Chrome change the game for JavaScript SEO?

Martin Splitt May 10, 2019 ★★★

Googlebot now uses an always up-to-date version of Chrome for web page analysis, meaning better support for modern JavaScript.

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

Should you reduce your page size to boost your crawl budget?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★

The size of responses influences the time it takes for Google to retrieve pages, but reducing page size does not significantly increase the number of pages crawled by Google.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Is hidden content under tabs really considered for ranking?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★★

Content hidden under tabs is taken into account for ranking but may not be shown in the snippet.

Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Why does Google still limit the Indexing API to job postings?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★

The Indexing API is currently limited to job postings. Google is gathering feedback to potentially extend it to other areas.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Is Google Cache a Reliable Indicator of Actual Indexing?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★★

The Google cached page does not always reflect the current indexing of a page. Cache latencies may not affect ranking.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Web Performance

Do links from spammy sites really hurt your SEO?

John Mueller May 10, 2019 ★★

Links from spammy sites, which often include content related to popular sites, should not negatively affect SEO when they point to your site.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

Does server response time really dictate how often Googlebot crawls your site?

Martin Splitt May 10, 2019 ★★

Google considers server response time when determining how many concurrent requests to make, thus affecting crawling.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance

Is Google Search truly evolving, and what does it mean for your SEO strategy?

John Mueller May 09, 2019 ★★★

Google Search is constantly evolving to meet the modern needs of users and publishers.

Does Googlebot really find your site through links or manual submission?

Martin Splitt May 09, 2019 ★★★

Googlebot continuously crawls the web by following links. To make your site known, you can either establish inbound links or submit your site through Search Console.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure Search Console

Is using Search Console to request a recrawl truly an effective way to expedite the indexing of your changes?

Martin Splitt May 09, 2019 ★★★

If you make changes to your site, you can use Search Console to verify that the corrections have been acknowledged and to request a recrawl.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Search Console

Does Googlebot really use a modern version of Chrome to crawl your site?

Martin Splitt May 09, 2019 ★★★

Googlebot now uses a modern version of Chrome and will continue to be updated to stay current.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Does mobile-first indexing really cover more than 50% of sites — and what does it mean for you?

Martin Splitt May 09, 2019 ★★★

More than 50% of the sites in Google's index are now indexed with mobile-first to better represent how users browse the web.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Can Google rewrite your page titles without your consent?

Martin Splitt May 09, 2019 ★★

Page titles are crucial for helping users understand your page content, even if Google can adjust them based on queries.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

What are the secrets to optimize your images for actual indexing by Google?

John Mueller May 09, 2019 ★★★

To ensure that your images are indexed properly, make sure they are well integrated into the HTML with appropriate accompanying text and alt tags.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos