What does Google say about SEO?

Should you really canonicalize every duplicate product across multiple landing pages?

John Mueller Jun 15, 2018 ★★★

For the same product on multiple pages, use the rel=canonical attribute to identify the indexed version and strengthen signals on a single URL.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing E-commerce Domain Name

Why don't monthly search volumes reflect the reality of your impressions?

John Mueller Jun 15, 2018 ★★★

Average monthly search volumes can vary and should be approached with caution. Search Console shows the actual number of impressions in the results.

Search Console

What URL structure should you choose for an effective multilingual site in SEO?

John Mueller Jun 15, 2018 ★★

Implementing content in different languages can use various URL structures based on preferences since the language is analyzed on a per-URL basis.

Content Domain Name International SEO

Do plain text links really transmit PageRank?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

Google treats plain text links, where a URL is mentioned within the text, differently than normal HTML links. They are used solely for discovering new pages, but they do not pass PageRank or signals.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Domain Name

How can you redirect a restructured page into multiple new URLs without losing its PageRank?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

When reorganizing content into several new pages, it is advisable to use a 301 redirect from the old page to the new main page in order to retain the benefits of existing links.

Domain Age & History Content Links & Backlinks Redirects

Should you really limit the number of hreflang versions to concentrate your SEO signals?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

For hreflang, it is important to ensure that each version of your site has a clear language and localization designation. It is often preferable to limit the number of variations to concentrate SEO signals.

AI & SEO Local Search International SEO

Does a noindex tag ultimately kill your links for good?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

Noindex-marked pages are temporarily kept in the index but may be removed if they remain noindex for too long. The links from these pages are then ignored.

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

Should you really worry about 404 errors on your site?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

404 errors are not problematic in themselves and do not negatively affect your site if there are other external means to find the sought-after information.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Should you switch your canonical tags with mobile-first indexing?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

Even with mobile-first indexing, it's not necessary to switch canonical statements between mobile and desktop versions. Maintain the current state of the canonical relationship.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Should you really remove all internal search results pages from indexing?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

Internal search results pages are generally best excluded from indexing as they can create infinite links with varying quality content, which could harm the overall image of the site.

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

Do alt tags really help with traditional web SEO?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

Alt tags on images are important for image search because they describe the content of the image, but are less relevant for traditional web search.

Domain Age & History Content Images & Videos

Why do your rankings fluctuate even without a confirmed algorithm update?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★

Ranking fluctuations can occur and indicate that our algorithms are reevaluating the relevance of content relative to certain queries. It is often linked to the adjustment of our systems to achieve better long-term matching.

Algorithms Content AI & SEO Search Console

Can 500 errors really destroy your crawl budget?

Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018 ★★★

Repeated 500 errors signal a potential problem with the server. To prevent overloading the server, Google might reduce the crawl speed.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance

Should you really keep 301 redirects active for a year after a site migration?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★★

It is recommended to maintain 301 redirects for at least one year when moving sites to ensure that Google understands that the content on the new domain is the same as that on the old one.

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

Do hash fragments (#) in URLs really prevent Google from indexing them?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★★

Google generally does not consider URLs with hash fragments (#) for indexing. It is advisable to use the HTML5 History API for navigation in JavaScript applications so that Google can properly index these pages.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure

Does content translation count as duplicate content for Google?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★★

Translating content into different languages is not considered duplicate content. Google views this as unique content because it targets different audiences.

Content International SEO

Should you really abandon hreflang tags in anchor links?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★★

Google does not support hreflang tags in anchor links. Hreflang tags must be placed in the head section of the HTML page, in the HTTP header, or in a sitemap.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security Links & Backlinks PDF & Files Search Console International SEO

Do customer reviews and ratings really influence organic SEO rankings?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★

Online survey results or evaluations on a website do not affect organic search rankings. Local reviews may influence local searches, but this is separate from organic results.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Local Search

Should you really fix every 404 error reported in Search Console?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★

It is normal for Google to occasionally recrawl very old URLs that return a 404 error. This is not a problem, and these errors are displayed in Search Console to inform you of crawl attempts.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing Domain Name Search Console

Should you really disavow toxic backlinks or does Google take care of it on its own?

John Mueller Jun 12, 2018 ★★★

Google recommends disavowing harmful links if it concerns you, even though its algorithms generally ignore these links. Using a disavow file does not negatively affect your site.

Algorithms Links & Backlinks PDF & Files