What does Google say about SEO?

How can you transform an affiliate site to escape Google's duplicate content filter?

John Mueller Mar 08, 2019 ★★★

Duplicate content is a common problem for affiliate sites, often due to the direct reuse of product feeds. To avoid being considered low-value content, sites must offer unique and relevant content.

Content E-commerce AI & SEO

Is it true that hidden content under tabs is really indexed by Google?

John Mueller Mar 08, 2019 ★★

Hidden content under tabs is not an issue for Google indexing. However, if it is critical for users to see it in order to take action on your site, it can pose a conversion problem.

Content Crawl & Indexing Pagination & Structure

Is anchor text still a major ranking factor for Google?

John Mueller Mar 08, 2019 ★★★

Anchor text is still an important ranking factor for Google. It provides context about the link. Using descriptive anchor text, especially for internal links, helps Google understand the content of the linked pages.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Do redirects really transfer penalties for thin content to the destination page?

John Mueller Mar 08, 2019 ★★★

When a page is redirected due to thin content, negative effects are not transferred to the new page. What matters is the final, visible content on the landing page.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Redirects

Is responsive design truly essential for mobile-first indexing?

John Mueller Mar 08, 2019 ★★★

With mobile-first indexing, it's advisable to switch to a responsive design that uses the same URLs for desktop and mobile versions to simplify management and avoid unnecessary complexities.

Crawl & Indexing Mobile SEO Domain Name

Why is Google now consolidating all Search Console data under the canonical URL?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

In the new Search Console search performance report, data will now be consolidated under the canonical URL, no matter what device (desktop or mobile) is used.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Domain Name Web Performance Search Console

How do domain properties in Search Console actually simplify multi-protocol management?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

The new Search Console now offers domain properties, allowing the grouping of different URL versions like HTTP, HTTPS, and subdomains under a single property.

HTTPS & Security AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

Should you really use a canonical tag on every page of your site?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★

The canonical tag is a useful option if you have pages with duplicate content to help Google determine the primary version, but it is not mandatory for all pages.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Does the meta keywords tag still matter for SEO today?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

The meta keywords tag is not taken into account by Google for rankings. Therefore, it is not necessary to use it for SEO.

AI & SEO

Is there really a minimum word count needed to rank on Google?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

There is no minimum or optimal word count for page text that is recommended by Google. The content must be useful and relevant to the user.

Domain Age & History Content

Does page speed truly influence Google ranking if Lighthouse scores don’t count?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

The loading speed of a page affects rankings in search results, but PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse scores are not used as direct criteria for ranking.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Web Performance

Is it really worth investing in AMP for a business website?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★

Adding AMP can be beneficial for sites looking to improve mobile loading times, but it depends on the specific resources and needs of the site.

AI & SEO Mobile SEO Web Performance

Should you stop targeting keyword variations in SEO?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★

It is more beneficial to concentrate on creating relevant and quality content rather than worrying about keyword variations.

Content AI & SEO

Are Search Console alerts just disguised penalties?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

Alerts in Google's Search Console coverage report signal indexing issues and are not related to manual penalties.

Crawl & Indexing Search Console

Is Google really refusing to index your duplicate pages despite your best efforts?

Google Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

URL duplication can lead to a page not being indexed if Google detects that another identical page is already indexed. Using a self-referential canonical can be a solution.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Domain Name

Do you really need distinct URLs to manage international offers, or are parameters sufficient?

John Mueller Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

To manage product offers with different prices by country, it is important to use distinct URLs for each regional version. You can use URL parameters to specify the country, but ensure that each version has a unique URL so that Google can recognize a...

Crawl & Indexing E-commerce AI & SEO Domain Name International SEO

Are new gTLDs really changing the game for geographic targeting in SEO?

John Mueller Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

New generic top-level domains (gTLDs) can be used independently of their country of origin. They can be configured to target users in specific countries via Search Console, using individually verified subdomains or subdirectories.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

How does the canonical link between AMP and desktop affect the indexing of your pages?

John Mueller Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

When you have AMP versions and standard versions of the same page, it is crucial to ensure that the AMP version has a rel=canonical link pointing to the desktop version, and conversely, the desktop version must include a rel=alternate link pointing t...

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Images & Videos Links & Backlinks Mobile SEO

Could a simple technical mistake with JavaScript completely de-index your site?

John Mueller Mar 07, 2019 ★★

Using JavaScript to manage metadata like noindex can cause indexing problems if the JavaScript is not robust. Any error in JavaScript loading can lead to the unintentional application of noindex on many pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO

Does internal linking really affect the quality perceived by Google?

John Mueller Mar 07, 2019 ★★★

Crawl depth and internal links influence crawl frequency and the perceived relevance of a page, but not directly the quality perceived by Google's algorithms. It is advisable to ensure that important pages are well-linked.

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