What does Google say about SEO?

Do Business Accreditations and Certifications Actually Influence Google Rankings?

John Mueller Nov 19, 2018 ★★★

There are many organizations, particularly in the United States, that grant "accreditations" or scores to businesses based on numerous criteria. One of the most well-known is the BBB (Better Business Bureau). John Mueller explained in the same hangou...

Algorithms Content AI & SEO

Did Your News Site Temporarily Disappear from Google News?

Google Nov 19, 2018 ★★★

Google News recently experienced some indexing issues with certain sites, which were no longer appearing in search results. Googler Lisa Wang indicated that the bug has now been fixed and that the search engine's functionality has returned to normal.

Crawl & Indexing Discover & News AI & SEO

Do 404 errors really hurt your SEO rankings?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

404 errors do not penalize a site's ranking. They technically indicate that the site is properly managing nonexistent pages by returning the correct error code.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Does loading speed really affect Google rankings?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

Loading speed is a minor ranking factor but has a significant impact on user experience, influencing browsing behavior and conversions.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure Web Performance

Is Internal Linking Truly Enough to Get Your Pages Indexed?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

To improve indexing, ensure that your pages have quality content and are well-linked internally to signal their importance.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing Domain Name

Is PageSpeed Insights really enough to optimize your Core Web Vitals?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★

The PageSpeed Insights tool, which includes Lighthouse tests, allows for the evaluation of page performance on different devices and optimizing accordingly.

Domain Age & History Web Performance Search Console

Should you really monitor all your incoming links to protect your SEO?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

In general, incoming links are beneficial. There is no need to review every link; use the disavow tool for low-quality links that you did not create yourself.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Why does Google crawl your pages without ever indexing them?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

Crawling does not always mean indexing. Google may decide that a page is not interesting enough to be indexed, even if it is known.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing

Should you really index your tag pages or set them to noindex?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

Tag pages should be treated like any other page and evaluated based on their quality. If it is lacking, you can set them to noindex.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Is automatically generated content doomed to disappear from Google's index?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

Automatically generated content must be critically assessed as it may not provide added value to users and lead to low indexing.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you really keep seasonal pages live all year round?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

Keep seasonal content pages active after the event to maintain their importance and avoid deleting them, which complicates future reindexing.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should we really stop tracking every Google update?

John Mueller Nov 16, 2018 ★★★

Focus on high-quality sites that are relevant to users instead of tracking every minor Google algorithm update.

Algorithms Content

Why is Google struggling to index your new content quickly?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★

It is possible to observe delays in the indexing of new stories. The issue may be temporary and is currently being addressed.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Is anchor text really important for SEO?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★★

Descriptive anchor text is recommended to help Google understand the context of the linked page, even though it is not a critical factor.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Does switching your TLD really affect your organic visibility?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★★

Changing TLDs (e.g., from .travel to .com) with a clean redirect should not significantly affect visibility, provided the migration is well executed.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Should you simplify your site's international architecture to boost its SEO?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★★

It is not recommended to add complex site structures if it is not necessary, as they complicate maintenance and could divide the site's visibility.

AI & SEO Pagination & Structure International SEO

Can a domain with a questionable past truly regain Google's trust?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★★

Websites with a problematic history, such as those that have hosted piracy content, can see their reputation improve over time if the current use of the domain is appropriate.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Does the alt text of images really boost your SEO?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★★

The text in the alt attribute of images helps Google understand the page, although it plays a more significant role in image search than in overall ranking.

Domain Age & History Content Images & Videos

Does mobile-first indexing really apply to all ranking criteria, including above-the-fold?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★★

Google is trying to use the mobile version as much as possible for its algorithms, including for assessing what appears above the fold.

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

Can Google ignore your logo markup for the Knowledge Graph?

John Mueller Nov 13, 2018 ★★

For the Knowledge Graph, Google might choose different logos than those specified in the markup if other sources appear more reliable.

Domain Age & History Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO