What does Google say about SEO?

Can server-side rendering really fail just like client-side rendering does?

Martin Splitt May 30, 2023 ★★

Server-side rendering solutions can also fail and produce incomplete HTML, for example if the database connection fails. The problem is not exclusive to client-side rendering, even though the latter is more fragile.

Links & Backlinks

Does Google really treat 429, 503, and 500 status codes the same way?

Gary Illyes May 30, 2023 ★★

HTTP status codes 429 (too many requests) and 503 (service unavailable) are treated similarly by Google, and probably also with code 500. Search Console groups them in the same way as well.

HTTPS & Security AI & SEO Search Console

Can Google actually crawl and index Web3 domains like .eth?

John Mueller May 30, 2023 ★★

Web3 addresses like .eth domains are invented and unofficial top-level domains. Google cannot crawl or index them, even if a browser plugin allows their resolution. They operate similarly to the Tor network (.onion).

Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Domain Name

Why do your users type your brand name into Google instead of going straight to your website?

John Mueller May 30, 2023 ★

One of the major observations drawn from billions of analyzed searches is that users massively use navigation queries, preferring to search for a brand or company name rather than typing the complete URL.

AI & SEO Domain Name Pagination & Structure

Is your client-side rendering (CSR) sabotaging your Google indexation chances?

Martin Splitt May 30, 2023 ★★★

With client-side rendering, the base HTML is empty and all content is generated by JavaScript through API requests. Google must fully render these pages with no possibility of falling back to existing HTML content, which increases indexation failure ...

Domain Age & History Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Can a single JavaScript rendering failure cost you weeks of lost search visibility?

Martin Splitt May 30, 2023 ★★★

If JavaScript rendering fails during a crawl with client-side rendered content, Google will have nothing to index because the HTML is empty. You'll have to wait for the next crawl, which can delay indexation by a week or more.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks

Does client-side rendering create a structural bottleneck for Google's crawling process?

Martin Splitt May 30, 2023 ★★

Client-side rendering involves additional requests: the initial HTML, the JavaScript file, then API calls to fetch content in JSON before generating the final HTML. This adds complexity and potential failure points.

Content AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Links & Backlinks PDF & Files

Should you ditch client-side rendering to boost your SEO rankings?

Martin Splitt May 30, 2023 ★★

Client-side rendering has value for interactive applications, but it's not the best strategy for informational websites where content indexability is the priority.

Content Crawl & Indexing AI & SEO Links & Backlinks

Should you really prioritize the 410 code over 404 to signal a deleted page?

Martin Splitt May 30, 2023 ★★★

Google treats HTTP 404 (Not Found) and 410 (Gone) status codes the same way internally. Search Console displays them identically as well, which reflects the actual processing performed by Google's crawling and indexing systems.

Crawl & Indexing HTTPS & Security AI & SEO JavaScript & Technical SEO Local Search Search Console

Can Invalid Schema.org Markup Penalize Your Organic Rankings?

Gary Illyes May 23, 2023 ★★★

In the SEO Office Hours video, Gary Illyes stated that invalid Schema markup does not harm your site or your rankings. In the worst case scenario, if Google cannot parse your markup, it simply won't use it.

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

Does an SSL Certificate Really Boost Your SEO Rankings?

John Mueller May 23, 2023 ★★★

John Mueller debunked the theory that an SSL certificate would boost a website's SEO. He responded to a Mastodon member who was promoting this argument to encourage people to buy an SSL certificate - his own, obviously.

Domain Age & History Content HTTPS & Security AI & SEO

Can Google's Helpful Content System Really Uncover Hidden Quality Content?

Danny Sullivan May 23, 2023 ★★

In response to Glenn Gabe, Danny Sullivan indicated that the Helpful Content System will not only demote "unhelpful" content, but will also highlight the "hidden gems" of the web. The system will therefore soon be able to identify useful content, eve...

Content AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Is internal navigation really enough to guarantee that your strategic pages get indexed?

Daniel Waisberg May 23, 2023 ★★

To improve the visibility of important pages, verify that they can be found through your site's navigation or ensure they're linked from other places on your site, such as the homepage or main category pages.

Domain Age & History AI & SEO Pagination & Structure

Does a low CTR really mean your search snippets are failing to attract clicks?

Daniel Waisberg May 23, 2023 ★★★

If the number of impressions for a query or page is significantly higher than clicks (low CTR), it means your search snippets are not attracting clicks. You need to create better titles and descriptions to make your snippets more appealing.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO

Why aren't your Google News metrics showing up in Search Console?

Cherry Prommawin May 23, 2023 ★★★

The Google News report displays data from news.google.com and the Google News application on Android and iOS. This is different and does not cover data from the News tab in Google Search results, which is already covered in the Search Performance rep...

Discover & News Pagination & Structure Web Performance Local Search Search Console

Why doesn't Google Search Console show search queries in the Google News report?

Cherry Prommawin May 23, 2023 ★★

In the Google News report in Search Console, you will not see search queries or search appearances, unlike the standard Search Performance report.

Discover & News AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

Why isn't the Discover report showing up in your Search Console?

Cherry Prommawin May 23, 2023 ★★

The Discover Performance report is only visible if your property has reached the minimum number of impressions in Discover. It displays Discover traffic across all surfaces where users interact with it, including traffic from Chrome.

Discover & News Web Performance Local Search Search Console

Why does Google recommend analyzing your SEO performance over at least 16 months?

Cherry Prommawin May 23, 2023 ★★★

For long-term performance analysis, extend your date range to include 16 months using the Date filter. This helps you better analyze traffic fluctuations and identify evergreen content as well as the main content categories on your site.

Domain Age & History Content AI & SEO Web Performance Search Console

Does the Most Recent Date option really allow you to detect trends in real time?

Cherry Prommawin May 23, 2023 ★★

The Most Recent Date option in the date filter provides a partial data point that is updated multiple times per day. These fresh data allow you to get an overview of trending terms that are only a few hours old.

Why does Google force you to juggle three separate performance reports in Search Console?

Daniel Waisberg May 23, 2023 ★★★

Search Console offers three distinct performance reports: Search (classic search results), Discover, and Google News. The data from each report is different and must be analyzed separately to understand a site's presence across these different Google...

Discover & News Web Performance Search Console