What does Google say about SEO?

Are IP geolocation databases really reliable enough for international SEO?

Gary Illyes Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Databases mapping IP addresses to countries evolve very rapidly and require near-weekly updates to remain accurate. An outdated database can redirect users to the wrong localized versions of a site.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search International SEO

Can Google really display rich results without schema markup?

Gary Illyes Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Even without specific schema markup, Google can automatically add certain rich results elements to the SERPs, such as review stars. Schema markup is not always necessary to obtain these enriched displays.

Domain Age & History Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO Local Search

Should you really worry about HTML structure for SEO?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★★

Google Search doesn't care about the finer details of the HTML tags used (span, div, p). The interpretation of content doesn't change based on the type of tag used for the same visual rendering. It is recommended to use HTML tags according to their s...

Content AI & SEO Images & Videos JavaScript & Technical SEO

How does Google's search constantly change the SEO landscape?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★★

Google search is highly dynamic: systems change over time, the understanding of pages and queries evolves, web content changes, as do user queries and expectations. These factors explain fluctuations in rankings over time.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Why can't Google just remove illegal content from search results?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Google reflects publicly available information from the Internet in its search results. For copyright-protected content, there are legal processes like DMCA notices. Google cannot proactively remove content: it is a legal process involving platforms ...

Content Search Console

Could your video strategy be missing the mark for indexing?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★★

Only videos that constitute the main content of a page are eligible for video indexing. If Search Console indicates that the video is supplementary content, it will not be indexed. Check the markup and rendering of the page to ensure that the video a...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Search Console

Are You Falling into the Common Video Indexing Traps on Your Website?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Two common issues prevent video indexing: 1) some pages have structured data, while others do not; 2) in the rendering, the video does not load and the area appears empty to Googlebot, preventing its recognition as main content.

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why does it take so long for favicons to update in search results?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Updating favicons in search results can take a lot of time. If a favicon disappears or fails to update, patience is essential as the refresh process is slow.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO

Why doesn't Google regulate the shape of favicons?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Currently, there are no specific directives or guidelines to control whether a favicon will appear in a circular or square shape in search results. Google has noted user feedback on this topic.

AI & SEO

How do anonymized queries affect your SEO analysis in Search Console?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Anonymized queries in Search Console are designed to protect user privacy. For general topics with a lot of impressions, analysis remains feasible. The level of anonymization varies by content type and cannot be deliberately reduced.

Content Search Console

Why does Google favor CrUX data for Core Web Vitals?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★★

For the Core Web Vitals displayed in Search Console, Google uses CrUX data (Chrome User Experience Report), which is based on the real experiences of Chrome users.

Web Performance Search Console

What could data discrepancies in Search Console mean for your SEO analysis?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★

Data discrepancies between filtered and unfiltered views in Search Console are normal. Anonymized queries are excluded when filters are applied, which explains significant differences in totals. Refer to the documentation on data discrepancies.

JavaScript & Technical SEO PDF & Files Search Console

Do Core Web Vitals Really Impact Your SEO Ranking?

Google Apr 25, 2024 ★★★

The exact impact of Core Web Vitals on ranking cannot be precisely quantified as Google's algorithm uses over 200 ranking signals. No one can determine the specific impact of a single signal.

Algorithms Web Performance

Can a Server Outage Really Destroy Your Google Rankings?

Gary Illyes Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

During the SEO Office Hours in April 2024, Gary Illyes explained that brief service interruptions, indicated by a 503 code, had no significant impact on the crawl rate. However, if these interruptions extend beyond 10/15 minutes, they can hinder the ...

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

Will Changing Your Web Host Hurt Your Google Rankings?

Gary Illyes Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

In the latest SEO Office Hours, Gary Illyes indicated that changing hosting providers has no negative impact on page rankings in Google search results, provided that downtime is minimal.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO

Should You Really Avoid Hyphens in Your Domain Name for SEO?

John Mueller Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

On Reddit, John Mueller clarified Google's position on domains using hyphens. Excessive use of hyphens, combined with other questionable SEO practices, has long been considered a spam indicator. Today, given the scarcity of available domains, their u...

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Penalties & Spam

Will Google Penalize You for Owning Multiple Websites?

John Mueller Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

John Mueller stated that owning multiple websites has no direct connection to a drop in rankings: "Many people own multiple websites. Separate sites are not a problem. The problem is often more indirect. If you work on a large number of websites, you...

Algorithms Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Penalties & Spam

Should You Use Google's Indexing API to Speed Up Your Pages' Rankings?

Gary Illyes Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

Gary Illyes reminded us that the Indexing API is limited to job postings and event livestreaming: "It might still work, but since it's intended for these two things, I wouldn't be surprised if it suddenly stopped working overnight for unsupported sec...

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Penalties & Spam

Is Google really rewriting your title tags as often as people think?

Gary Illyes Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

The title link displayed in search results comes from the HTML title tag of the website, at least most of the time. It's one of the elements that website owners can control.

Content AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Can you really control what appears in your SERP snippet, or does Google have the final say?

Gary Illyes Apr 23, 2024 ★★★

The snippet (description excerpt) displayed in search results comes directly from the web page's content. It's an element that can be controlled by the site owner.

Domain Age & History Content Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO