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.
Quick SEO Quiz

Test your SEO knowledge in 3 questions

Less than 30 seconds. Find out how much you really know about Google search.

🕒 ~30s 🎯 3 questions 📚 SEO Google
★★★ Does user-centered quality really satisfy Google's demands?
For Google, content quality is determined by its relevance and uniqueness to the user. Focusing efforts on user feedback rather than algorithm functioning is essential....
John Mueller Mar 06, 2020
★★★ Are backlinks really becoming a secondary ranking factor?
While links are a factor in our ranking algorithms, there are many others. Mass purchasing of links does not necessarily provide a benefit since we can choose to ignore them....
John Mueller Mar 06, 2020
★★★ Does partial adult content really harm a site's SEO?
If a small part of a site is dedicated to adult content, it does not affect its overall ranking unless a significant portion violates SafeSearch algorithms....
John Mueller Mar 06, 2020
★★ Does a Google Manual Action Leave a Permanent Mark on Your SEO History?
Gary Illyes (Google Zurich) stated on Twitter that a site that gets "caught by the patrol" and receives a manual action starts from scratch in terms of "trust" once the penalty is removed and the "cle...
Gary Illyes Mar 02, 2020
★★★ Is PageRank Still a Decisive Ranking Factor in SEO?
John Mueller explained on Twitter that Google's algorithm still uses the concept of PageRank today, even though the current PR has changed significantly from the initial formula: "It's not quite the s...
John Mueller Mar 02, 2020
★★★ Are Reciprocal Links Really Penalized by Google?
John Mueller explained on Twitter that reciprocal links (A links to B which links back to A) are not necessarily bad, but if they are part of a system designed to manipulate the algorithm (link scheme...
John Mueller Jan 27, 2020
★★★ Does Hidden Text Really Penalize Your Organic Search Rankings?
John Mueller explained on Reddit that "another site is not going to rank better than yours because it has hidden text." Conversely, he also clarified that "simply having hidden text on a page will not...
John Mueller Jan 27, 2020
★★★ Does Google Really Understand Emojis and Are They Useful for SEO?
A user asked John Mueller whether Google understood the meaning of emojis (emoticons). The Googler responded affirmatively, providing an example of a search using the "banana" emoji as a query. The re...
John Mueller Jan 27, 2020
★★ Does Reporting a Spam Site to Google Actually Get It Penalized?
Danny Sullivan also explained on Twitter that when spam reports are well-crafted, they often enable Google's anti-spam teams to conduct in-depth research and investigations, sometimes leading to broad...
Danny Sullivan Jan 20, 2020
★★★ How Does Google's Machine Learning Really Determine Canonicalization Criteria Weights?
The same John Mueller explained during a webmaster hangout an example of how Google can use machine learning algorithms: "So, for example, we use machine learning for canonicalization. We have all the...
John Mueller Dec 23, 2019
★★★ Does BERT Really Require No Technical SEO Optimization Whatsoever?
Danny Sullivan reiterated on Twitter, as he typically does after almost every "core update," that there were no real modifications (particularly technical ones) to anticipate on your site following BE...
Danny Sullivan Nov 04, 2019
★★★ Should You Really Disavow Toxic Links After a Google Core Update?
Gary Illyes explained at the PubCon event that "core updates", implemented by Google on average every 3 months, have no impact on the "netlinking" aspect and that there was no point in updating your l...
Gary Illyes Oct 14, 2019
★★ Does Having Expert Authors Sign Your Content Really Improve Your SEO Rankings?
John Mueller and Danny Sullivan explained on Twitter that, within the framework of the EAT criterion (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), it was useless to buy an expert's name solely to v...
John Mueller Oct 14, 2019
★★ Does Web Traffic Really Influence Google Rankings?
Google's Webmaster Twitter account indicated that traffic to a website is not a relevance criterion for Google's algorithm....
Google Sep 02, 2019
★★★ Does the Google Sandbox Really Exist or Is It Just an SEO Myth?
John Mueller himself indicated on Twitter that the notion of the Sandbox (the idea that a site, when it is created, is put "in quarantine" by the search engine before achieving the positions it aspire...
John Mueller Aug 26, 2019
★★★ Do Nofollow Links Really Show Up in Search Console and Pass PageRank?
In a new video on the #AskGoogleWebmasters YouTube channel, John Mueller explains that "nofollow" links do not transmit any signals (and particularly no PageRank) to Google, but that they do appear in...
John Mueller Aug 19, 2019
★★★ Does Amazon's Alexa Rank Actually Influence Google Rankings?
Some questions asked to Google spokespeople are truly bizarre... For instance, a user asked John Mueller on Twitter whether Amazon's Alexa Rank played a role in Google's relevance algorithm. John's an...
John Mueller Aug 19, 2019
★★ Is PageRank Really Dead Since 2006, or Has It Simply Evolved?
Jonathan Tang, a former Google engineer (between 2009 and 2014) explained on a forum that Google no longer used the notion of PageRank in its algorithm since 2006. He actually clarified later that the...
Google Jul 22, 2019
★★★ Can Google Actually Identify the Real Author Behind a Pseudonym or Avatar?
A user asked John Mueller on Twitter about whether Google can (or cannot) determine who the real author of content is when an avatar (pseudonym) is used. John's response: "I doubt Google's algorithms ...
John Mueller Jul 22, 2019
★★★ Why Won't Optimizing Just One SEO Factor Improve Your Google Rankings Anymore?
John Mueller indicated, also on Twitter, that it is now impossible to isolate a single relevance criterion of the search engine's algorithm and manipulate it to increase a page's visibility. Everythin...
John Mueller May 02, 2019
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.