What does Google say about SEO?

Should you really choose between HTML and PDF based on how your audience consumes content?

John Mueller Dec 12, 2023 ★★

In practice, content is often available in only one format because that's what the audience prefers. HTML works better for content viewed on mobile (restaurant menu), while PDF is suited for content meant to be printed (forms).

Content AI & SEO Mobile SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files

Is it safe to publish the same content in both HTML and PDF without triggering duplicate content penalties?

John Mueller Dec 12, 2023 ★★★

It is perfectly acceptable to publish the same content twice: once in HTML and once as a downloadable PDF. Google can find and index both formats separately.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Pagination & Structure PDF & Files

How can you effectively control which version of duplicate HTML and PDF content Google indexes?

John Mueller Dec 12, 2023 ★★★

You have controls available to manage indexing: use an HTTP noindex header or a meta robots tag to block indexing of one version, or use the link rel=canonical element to indicate your preference to Google.

Content Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security Links & Backlinks PDF & Files

Is the URL Inspection Tool really the ultimate weapon for debugging your indexing problems?

Martin Splitt Dec 07, 2023 ★★★

In Google Search Console, use the URL Inspection tool on the problematic URL to debug indexing issues. This is the recommended tool to quickly verify why a URL isn't displaying as intended.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Local Search Search Console

Can the URL inspection tool really diagnose all your indexation problems?

Martin Splitt Dec 07, 2023 ★★★

The URL inspection tool allows you to see if a page is indexed and indexable, if and when it was last crawled. If it has never been crawled, it will not be indexed and will not appear in search results.

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

Should you really request manual crawling via the URL inspection tool in Search Console?

Martin Splitt Dec 07, 2023 ★★

If a page hasn't been crawled yet, you can request crawling via the URL inspection tool. Sometimes, it's simply a matter of patience as the robot reaches that URL.

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

Is Google indexing a different URL than the one you actually set as canonical?

Martin Splitt Dec 07, 2023 ★★★

Check whether the page was ignored as a duplicate after crawling and whether the canonical URL points to another URL. For example, the HTTP URL may be ignored in favor of the HTTPS URL. Even if it's not the expected canonical URL, the content remains...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security Domain Name

Could invisible errors in your rendered HTML be silently destroying your Google rankings?

Martin Splitt Dec 07, 2023 ★★

If problems persist, check the rendered HTML and HTTP response to identify unexpected elements like stray error messages or missing content, caused by technical issues from the server or application code.

Domain Age & History Content HTTPS & Security

Why does Google actually recommend against using cache and site: for debugging indexation issues?

Martin Splitt Dec 07, 2023 ★★★

Don't use cache or site: search operators and functions to debug indexation issues because they are not intended for debugging and could give you false results if you use them for this purpose.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Web Performance

Should You Really Fix All Your 404 Errors for SEO?

John Mueller Dec 05, 2023 ★★

On Reddit, John Mueller stated that there's relatively little value in attempting to restore broken links displaying a 404 error, at least from an SEO perspective: "Keep in mind that it's not necessary to fix 404 pages. It's normal for them to disapp...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks Pagination & Structure

Can the URL Inspection Tool really diagnose all your indexation problems?

Martin Splitt Dec 01, 2023 ★★★

The URL Inspection Tool can help identify why a web page isn't appearing in Google Search. It's a diagnostic tool for technical issues.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console

Is the URL Inspection Tool Really Enough to Diagnose Your Crawl and Indexation Problems?

Martin Splitt Dec 01, 2023 ★★★

The URL Inspection Tool allows you to diagnose issues related to crawling (exploration) and indexability of web pages in Google Search.

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

How is Mobile-First Indexing reshaping SEO strategies?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★★

The deployment of Mobile-First Indexing (MFI) is now completely finished. Google continues to crawl some non-mobile-friendly sites with the desktop Googlebot, but this practice will gradually be minimized. Reevaluations will occur a few times a year.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO

Why is Google eliminating Index Crawler information from Search Console?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★

Google is removing 'Index Crawler' information from Search Console settings because it is no longer necessary following the full rollout of Mobile-First Indexing. Google's mobile crawler now primarily crawls mobile-optimized sites.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Mobile SEO Search Console

How do Google's updates really affect your SEO strategy?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★

Google regularly updates its ranking systems to display the most relevant and useful content. A new Q&A blog explains the differences between ranking systems and updates, the reasons behind the updates, and how to respond to them.

Content AI & SEO Local Search

Why should you optimize your course data with Google's new structured data?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★

Google now allows the addition of detailed course information (price, level, ratings, duration) through structured data. This information appears in a new carousel of enhanced results called Course Info Rich Result.

Structured Data E-commerce Featured Snippets & SERP AI & SEO

What Causes the Significant Fluctuations in Discover Traffic?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★★

Traffic from Discover varies for several reasons: changes in user interests, types of content, and updates to Google Search. Since Discover is an extension of Google Search, it is impacted by algorithm updates. Fluctuations are normal.

Algorithms Content Discover & News AI & SEO Domain Name

Why do server errors 5xx create issues for crawling and indexing?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★★

Server errors 5xx and 429 indicate to Googlebot to temporarily slow down its crawling pace. Already indexed URLs remain in the index, but will ultimately be removed if the errors continue. The number of server errors directly impacts the crawling fre...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name

Why is Structured Data Vehicle Listing Limited to the US?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★

Structured Data Vehicle Listing requires a verified Google Business profile in the United States. Even though the USA is among the targeted countries, a profile located outside the USA does not allow the use of this feature. Support will be extended ...

Why doesn't Google automatically index your site?

Google Nov 30, 2023 ★★★

Websites (Google Sites or others) are not automatically indexed. You need to make your site discoverable to search engines, particularly by obtaining links from other sites. Submission via Search Console does not guarantee a quick indexing time.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Search Console