What does Google say about SEO?

Is Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE) about to completely transform how organic traffic works?

John Mueller Jul 05, 2023 ★★

Google has launched Search Labs where users can test new products and ideas, including Search Generative Experience (SGE) which uses generative AI to provide more information and context to searches. Initially available in the United States.

Content E-commerce AI & SEO

Does the Rich Results Test code editor really transform how you validate structured data?

John Mueller Jul 05, 2023 ★★

Google has launched an update to the Rich Results Test enabling code editing, making it easier and faster to test structured markup corrections.

Domain Age & History Structured Data Featured Snippets & SERP

Does Search Console Insights really work without Google Analytics? A game-changer for site owners?

John Mueller Jul 05, 2023 ★★

Search Console Insights now supports users without Google Analytics, making it easier to verify your site's performance in Google Search for site owners and their clients.

AI & SEO Links & Backlinks Web Performance Search Console

Does Google's improved video indexing report finally reveal the real blocking issues?

John Mueller Jul 05, 2023 ★★

The video indexing report has been updated to include more detailed information about video indexing issues that can be resolved.

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Search Console

Why is Google documenting a new generic crawler and revealing its IP addresses?

John Mueller Jul 05, 2023 ★★

Google has documented a new generic crawler, reorganized the Google crawlers page, and added the IP addresses used by these crawlers to the documentation.

Domain Age & History Crawl & Indexing PDF & Files

Is Semantic HTML Markup Really an SEO Ranking Factor?

John Mueller Jul 04, 2023 ★★★

In a video published on the Google Search Central channel, John Mueller answered a question about the role of semantic HTML markup in SEO and website rankings. The famous Google employee clarified that semantic HTML helps Google understand page conte...

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Is semantic HTML really decisive for your search rankings?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★★

Semantic HTML helps search engines understand a page. It involves using HTML elements to structure content according to their meaning rather than their appearance.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Is semantic HTML really useless for SEO?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★★

Semantic HTML is not a ranking factor and is not a magic multiplier to improve a site's positioning. It aids in understanding but does not directly influence ranking.

AI & SEO

Does placing images near relevant text really boost your SEO and visibility in Google Images?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★

Images should be integrated near their textual context to help Google better understand the relationship between the image and the content.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Images & Videos

Should you really ban HTML tables for page layouts?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★

Table elements should be used to present tabular data and not to position text or create a layout.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Why does Google still insist on anchor tags instead of JavaScript for your links?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★

You must use anchor (a) tags for links rather than on-click JavaScript handlers, so that Google can properly identify and follow links.

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Does semantic HTML really improve your search engine rankings?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★★

Using semantic HTML can help Google's systems better understand a page's content, even if it's not a direct ranking factor.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Should you really use Hn tags instead of styling your headings visually with CSS?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★

It is recommended to use appropriate HTML heading elements to structure text blocks, rather than simply enlarging text visually.

Content Images & Videos Pagination & Structure

Should you prioritize semantic <section> and <article> tags over <div> for SEO?

John Mueller Jun 29, 2023 ★★

Google's systems are not particular about similar elements. To group text, most elements are treated the same way, whether it's section, article or div.

Content Discover & News AI & SEO

Should You Launch Your New Domain Several Weeks Before an SEO Migration?

John Mueller Jun 27, 2023 ★★★

According to John Mueller, launching a new domain several weeks before migrating your site to it can reduce certain risks. He explains: "There are internal and external things that could be risky. It allows you to test the waters in advance. Being in...

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Redirects

Should You Really Use LLMs and AI to Diagnose Your SEO Problems?

Gary Illyes Jun 27, 2023 ★★★

Gary Illyes stated that it's better to avoid using AI and LLMs to diagnose SEO issues or problems on your site. "LLMs have a high wow factor, but they know nothing about your website. Don't use them to diagnose potential issues. (...) Can they give y...

AI & SEO

Can the Google Domains Sale Actually Affect Your SEO Rankings?

Google Jun 27, 2023 ★★★

Since the announcement of the Google Domains sale, many have been wondering about the impact on the SEO of Google Domains sites. Barry Schwartz wanted to clarify the situation: "This sale should have no impact on your ranking in Google Search or on y...

AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name Search Console

Should you really stress about indexing 100% of your website pages?

John Mueller Jun 22, 2023 ★★★

It's normal for a website not to have all its pages indexed. The most common scenario is that some content gets indexed while other parts don't. Not all pages meet the quality threshold required for indexation. This only becomes problematic when noth...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO

Why isn't your homepage showing up in Google's search results yet?

John Mueller Jun 22, 2023 ★★★

Among the technical problems preventing a homepage from being indexed: server inaccessible to Googlebot, misconfigured robots.txt, noindex tag, empty page or lacking indexable content, non-discoverable site (absence of links), or removal request in S...

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

Is your website really missing from Google's index, or could canonicalization be playing tricks on you?

John Mueller Jun 22, 2023 ★★

A website can appear unindexed when it's actually indexed due to canonicalization. For example, the www version might be indexed but not the non-www version, or the opposite. You need to verify which version Google considers canonical in Search Conso...

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Domain Name Search Console