What does Google say about SEO?

Is it true that robots.txt isn't enough to safeguard your test environments?

Google Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

To prevent Google from indexing a test environment, it is advisable to block access through server restrictions such as IP restrictions or authentication, rather than depending on robots.txt files.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO PDF & Files

Is the address change tool in Search Console really essential for a domain migration?

Google Sep 26, 2018 ★★

When changing domains, using the address change tool in Search Console is recommended as it helps indicate to Google that this is a complete domain transfer, facilitating the signal transfer.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

Why does Google defer indexing your JavaScript content, and how can you anticipate it?

Google Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

When content depends on JavaScript for rendering, the indexing process may be delayed, as the rendering and complete indexing are performed later by our systems.

Content Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO

Does noindex really prevent link juice and internal link crawling?

Google Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Noindex pages may be treated as soft 404s, which could prevent internal links on those pages from being followed or passing link juice.

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

Why does Google launch its search features in the U.S. first?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Google's search features are primarily deployed in regions or languages where the team can easily test them, often starting with the United States. The rollout in other languages or regions depends on Google's ability to accurately understand queries...

Content AI & SEO Local Search International SEO

Does mobile-first indexing really cause temporary ranking drops?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Mobile-first indexing can lead to temporary ranking fluctuations because Google quickly crawls sites using a mobile crawler to update its index. This is generally limited to a few days and a small number of keywords.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Mobile SEO

Why doesn't Google switch all sites to mobile-first indexing at the same time?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Mobile-first indexing is activated progressively based on a site's readiness. Google wants to ensure that the mobile version is equivalent to the desktop version before proceeding with the switch.

Crawl & Indexing Mobile SEO

Should you really keep your URLs during a site migration?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

During a site migration, it is advisable to keep the existing URL structure before proceeding with other changes to allow for a faster transfer of signals and reduce fluctuations.

JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure Redirects

Can hidden text for accessibility harm your SEO?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

There is no penalty for hiding text meant for screen reader use for accessibility, as long as it is not intended to deceive search engines. This is in line with Google's guidelines.

Domain Age & History Content Web Performance

Is Dynamic Rendering the Ultimate Solution for Indexing Your React Apps?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Dynamic rendering, where pages are pre-rendered on the server and served to Googlebot, is a best practice to ensure that Google can index single page applications (SPAs) built with frameworks like React.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO

Why does Googlebot struggle with rendering your JavaScript on Chrome 41?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Googlebot uses Chrome 41 to render JavaScript pages, which can cause problems with modern JavaScript features such as ES6. Providing a pre-rendered HTML version can bypass these limitations.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO

Why does Google sometimes rank aggregators above original news sources?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★

Sometimes articles that replicate original news content rank better than the original content. Google is interested in specific examples of this issue to try to improve its systems.

Content Discover & News

Are your ranking fluctuations really caused by your site?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Ranking changes are often the result of shifts in the overall search ecosystem rather than specific issues on one site, and they can particularly affect news sites.

Do ARIA attributes really influence Google rankings?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★

ARIA labels for accessibility are not explicitly used by Google in page ranking but may indirectly contribute to a better understanding of the content by users and machines.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Does lazy loading kill the indexing of your images in Google?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

To ensure that lazily loaded images are indexed by Google, it is recommended to use noscript tags containing standard img tags, especially if the images are significant for image search traffic.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Images & Videos

Rel canonical and nofollow: Which tag should you use to manage your page variants?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

Google recommends using the rel canonical tag to indicate the main version of a page when multiple variants exist. Using internal links can also be effective. If you need a single page, rel canonical is an appropriate method to indicate the preferred...

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

Does anti-scraping JavaScript count as cloaking in Google's eyes?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

It is acceptable to use JavaScript to prevent content from being displayed on unwanted external domains by serving it with a noindex nofollow. As long as the content is accessible with the correct URLs, this does not violate Google's cloaking rules.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name Pagination & Structure Penalties & Spam

Why doesn’t Google immediately reassess your site after a Core Update?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★★

After a core algorithm update, Google does not immediately evaluate sites as 'bad' or 'in need of correction', but continuously analyzes whether a site's content is relevant to queries. Changes made to improve relevance can take time to be accounted ...

Algorithms Content AI & SEO

Does Google favor your homepage more often for crawling?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★

A website's homepage is often prioritized for crawling not due to an artificial signal but because it typically receives more internal and external links. Google does not artificially assign greater importance to the homepage.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Should you use nofollow on internal links to legal pages?

John Mueller Sep 26, 2018 ★★

It is possible to use the nofollow tag on internal links to standard sections such as transparency, but it may not have a significant impact. Generally, it’s better to leave these links as normal to avoid unnecessary additional management.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks