What does Google say about SEO? /
This category compiles all official Google statements regarding its ranking algorithms and their successive updates. Algorithms form the foundation of the search engine and determine website visibility in search results. Here you'll find Google communications about Core Updates, those major algorithm refreshes deployed several times yearly, alongside historical algorithms such as Panda (content quality), Penguin (link spam), Hummingbird (semantic understanding), and artificial intelligence innovations like RankBrain and BERT. SEO professionals will discover official positions on recent thematic updates including the Helpful Content Update, designed to reward genuinely useful content for users, and Spam Updates targeting manipulative practices. Understanding Google's official statements about these algorithms is crucial for anticipating ranking fluctuations, adapting SEO strategies to search engine evolution, and aligning practices with official recommendations rather than relying on speculation or misinformation. This resource helps practitioners distinguish between confirmed algorithmic factors and industry myths, enabling data-driven optimization decisions. Whether responding to sudden traffic changes or planning long-term SEO strategies, these official declarations provide the authoritative foundation needed for effective search engine optimization in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
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★★★ Is it true that BERT penalizes websites that lose traffic after its rollout?
BERT is not a ranking algorithm update but a system to better understand the text of long queries and pages. If a site loses traffic after BERT, it's because Google has a better understanding of what ...
John Mueller May 13, 2020
★★★ Do core updates really not penalize any technical errors?
Core updates (such as the June 2019 update) improve the relevance of search results. A drop in ranking after a core update does not necessarily indicate a technical error or a penalty, but suggests th...
John Mueller May 13, 2020
★★★ Does a Backlink's Age Really Influence Its SEO Weight Over Time?
John Mueller discussed link age during a recent hangout. In other words, does the "SEO strength" of a link increase or decrease over time? John explained that there are no "rules" establishing a corre...
John Mueller May 11, 2020
★★★ Does Google Really Ignore My Structured FAQ Markup in the SERPs?
Adding structured FAQ markup to a page does not guarantee that Google will display FAQ rich results in search results. The algorithms may decide to show fewer FAQs for certain queries or prioritize ot...
Martin Splitt May 05, 2020
★★★ Does Google really forget your past SEO mistakes?
Google typically focuses on the current state of a site. Corrected past errors have no lasting effect, except in rare cases: external links (slow reprocessing), geo-targeting (slow change), heavily sp...
John Mueller May 01, 2020
★★★ Does Discover really have no exploitable eligibility criteria?
Discover is very organic, with no clear criteria to meet. Google can decide to highlight or downrank a site without any notion of a query. There is no guaranteed method to appear, unlike traditional s...
John Mueller May 01, 2020
★★ Why does Google sometimes display 5 results from the same site on the first page?
Google generally limits to 2-3 results per site for generic queries. If the algorithm detects that the user is looking for a specific site, more results from that site may appear. This is not necessar...
John Mueller May 01, 2020
★★ Do Expired Domains Really Buy Back Their SEO Past?
When a site goes down and then the owner renews it, Google's algorithms try to be helpful by restoring the previous state. This 'help' can persist for several months to several years. Do not rely on e...
John Mueller May 01, 2020
★★★ Does Google really rank websites without human intervention?
Google's ranking is entirely algorithmic, with no human intervention to determine the order. The only manual intervention concerns webspam: the team identifies spam on important queries and takes targ...
John Mueller May 01, 2020
★★★ Why does Google deindex your blog articles after an update?
When previously indexed articles are deindexed after an algorithm update, it is usually not a technical issue but a problem of perceived quality. Google decides that indexing fewer pages from this sec...
John Mueller May 01, 2020
★★★ How Does Google Handle Sudden Search Spikes and Fleeting Trends?
John Mueller explained during a hangout that Google's algorithm does not currently take into account changes in internet user behavior due to the coronavirus, for example: searches to buy toilet paper...
John Mueller Apr 20, 2020
★★ Do Google's SEO statements have an expiration date?
Statements made by Google employees can evolve over time with updates in technology and algorithms....
Martin Splitt Apr 09, 2020
★★★ Does Google really filter medical sites manually to ensure the quality of results?
Google does not manually filter health sites but strives to provide very high-quality search results by using improved algorithms to ensure the relevance and reliability of information....
John Mueller Apr 03, 2020
★★★ How does Google choose which images to display in the SERPs?
Images can assist users in choosing between different results. Google algorithmically extracts relevant images to display next to search results, thereby improving user experience....
Google Mar 31, 2020
★★★ Does BERT actually reduce traffic to websites or simply enhance targeting?
Thanks to BERT, Google’s search results are better aligned with user intent. This can lead to a decrease in traffic for certain pages, but the redirected traffic is more relevant to the user....
Danny Sullivan Mar 31, 2020
★★★ Is Google Really Adapting Its Algorithms in Times of Crisis?
Google is trying to adapt its algorithms to provide relevant and reliable information to users when necessary, especially in crisis situations where user expectations are higher....
John Mueller Mar 31, 2020
★★★ Does Using AMP Really Help You Rank Better on Google?
Martin Splitt indicated on Twitter that content available in AMP format was not given more prominence on Google than non-AMP content. In short, the AMP format is not a relevance criterion for the sear...
Martin Splitt Mar 30, 2020
★★★ How does Google automatically detect hacked sites before it's too late?
Google utilizes algorithms to detect hacked content on websites based on thematic anomalies, such as the unexpected presence of pharmaceutical content....
John Mueller Mar 26, 2020
★★★ Why do new websites experience ranking fluctuations for 6 to 9 months?
New websites may experience ranking fluctuations during the first six to nine months while Google determines their relevance based on external signals....
John Mueller Mar 20, 2020
★★★ Why does your content disappear from search results despite impeccable technique?
When a site or content is less visible in search results, it may be due to algorithms being uncertain about the quality of the content. Review not only the technical aspects but also the critical qual...
John Mueller Mar 17, 2020
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