What does Google say about SEO?

Do X-Robots-Tag headers really prevent Google from following redirects?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

X-Robots HTTP headers do not block Google when following 301 or 302 redirects. They only affect links on a page and do not impact server-side redirects.

Domain Age & History HTTPS & Security Links & Backlinks Redirects

Does blocking Googlebot by certain ISPs really hurt your search rankings?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

If Googlebot is not blocked, the content can be crawled and indexed normally. However, if Googlebot is blocked, for example in the United States, the pages risk disappearing from search results.

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

Why does your ranking drop after lifting a Google manual action?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Once a manual action is lifted, it no longer affects the site. However, if artificial links have been cleaned up, the algorithms must adjust to the new situation, which can temporarily impact ranking.

Algorithms AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

How do technical migrations complicate your website's SEO?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Significant changes, such as migrating to a new domain, framework, or platform, can complicate our algorithms' understanding and extend the time required to establish a stable new ranking for the site.

Algorithms Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Should you really optimize Lighthouse if users find your site fast?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★

Lighthouse speed metrics are primarily focused on user experience. For SEO, user experience is what matters most, so if your site seems fast to users, you are probably in good shape.

JavaScript & Technical SEO Web Performance

Does Googlebot really load your site as an anonymous user every time it visits?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

With every visit from Googlebot, the page loads as if it's a first-time visit, without retaining cookies or session state. No prior loading (prefetching) affects Googlebot, but it can speed up the user experience, which is indirectly beneficial.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

How long does a website migration really take in Google's eyes?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

A straightforward transfer from one domain to another is generally handled quickly if 301 redirects are correctly set up, but significant changes require a reevaluation of the site, which can take longer.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Could UTM parameters be undermining your Google indexing?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

If the versions of pages with UTM parameters are predominantly linked internally, this can send mixed signals regarding which version to index. To avoid unnecessary crawling of different paths, it's recommended to have a focused linking strategy on a...

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

Does UX really boost SEO rankings or is Google just sidestepping the issue?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★

UX recommendations are not direct ranking factors, but improving user experience can indirectly positively affect positioning through more engaging content.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Is the Search Console API really slow, or is it a user-side issue?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★

It has been reported that prolonged wait times are being experienced for the Search Console API. This should not be common, and it is advised to implement user-side retry mechanisms until a resolution is found.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Search Console

Can the X-Robots-Tag header prevent Googlebot from following a 301 redirect?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

The HTTP X-Robots-Meta header does not block Google from following a 301 or 302 redirect. The nofollow attribute only applies to links on the page, and in the case of a server-side redirect, Google does not look at the page content, so it does not af...

Domain Age & History Content HTTPS & Security Links & Backlinks Redirects

Can mobile ISP blocking really kill your SEO?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

The main problem for SEO with ISP blocking is whether Googlebot is also blocked. If Googlebot is not blocked, the site can be indexed normally, but users who cannot access the site may indirectly impact it by not recommending it.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Does lifting a manual penalty truly erase all negative traces from your rankings?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Once a manual action is resolved, it no longer affects the site. There is no mechanism for keeping the site sidelined after breaking the rules. However, if the site relied on unnatural links and they have been cleaned up, this could affect rankings.

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

Should you really avoid combining domain migration and technical overhaul?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Making significant changes all at once, like switching to a new domain and new infrastructure, complicates Google's algorithms' tasks in stabilizing the site. This can lead to longer processing times than a simple domain change.

Algorithms AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Is Time to Interactive really a ranking factor for Google?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★

Performance metrics such as Time to Interactive are primarily focused on user experience rather than SEO. Google uses these metrics to get a holistic view of speed, but direct user experience takes precedence.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Web Performance Search Console

Does Googlebot preload internal links like a modern browser?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Googlebot treats each page visit as an initial visit, without preloading links. Thus, user preloading technologies do not affect Googlebot or rankings.

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

How long does it really take to recover after a domain transfer?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

A clean site migration with 301 redirects in place can be processed quickly by Google. However, significant changes require a complete reevaluation, extending the recovery time.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Could UTM parameters really clutter your Google indexing?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Ensuring internal consistency is crucial for URL indexing. If UTM parameters and clean URLs are mixed, Google may index both variants, affecting how data is reported in Search Console.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console International SEO

Can Google really ignore your rel=canonical and index a different version of your page?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

Google may choose to index different versions of a URL based on available signals, even with a rel=canonical attribute, especially if the pages are not perceived as equivalent.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Domain Name Redirects

Are affiliate links really harming your Google rankings?

John Mueller Feb 19, 2019 ★★★

It is not the affiliate links themselves that may lead to a lower ranking, but often the overall low quality level of affiliate sites. A high-quality affiliate site can still be well-ranked.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks