What does Google say about SEO? /
The Content category compiles all official Google statements regarding textual content creation, optimization, and evaluation in the context of search engine optimization. It encompasses fundamental aspects such as editorial quality, E-E-A-T criteria (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness), duplicate content issues, and thin content concerns. Google's positions on these topics are critical for understanding how algorithms assess the relevance and added value of web pages. This category also includes recommendations on structural elements like headings (H1, H2, Hn tags), meta descriptions, and semantic optimization. With the introduction of the Helpful Content system, Google has reinforced the importance of a user-first approach rather than a search engine-first methodology. SEO professionals will find here official guidance for creating content that meets algorithmic expectations while delivering genuine value to users, a balance that has become essential for achieving and maintaining strong rankings in search results. These declarations provide clarity on content strategies that align with Google's evolving quality standards and ranking factors.
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★★★ Does Googlebot truly execute JavaScript like a real browser?
Google does indeed execute the JavaScript of pages. The rendering happens as it would in a real browser. Any content injected into the DOM by JavaScript can be indexed. To check what Google sees, you ...
Martin Splitt Jan 27, 2021
★★★ Should You Really Avoid Google Tag Manager for Implementing Structured Data?
John Mueller advised on Twitter to integrate structured data tags directly into your pages and not to use Tag Manager for this purpose. Simply because direct integration is "generally easier to monito...
John Mueller Jan 25, 2021
★★★ Should You Change Your Dedicated Mobile Site's Technical Configuration When Moving to Mobile-First Indexing?
John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that when a website is not responsive and has a dedicated mobile version (two different URLs for the desktop site and the mobile site), nothing special needs to be ...
John Mueller Jan 25, 2021
★★★ Can HTML Button Links Really Sculpt PageRank Without Google Detecting Them?
John Mueller explained in a webmaster hangout that links implemented through HTML Button code (sometimes referred to as "PRG Pattern" for "Post/Redirect/Get Pattern") are not seen and therefore not ta...
John Mueller Jan 25, 2021
★★★ Is duplicate content really safe for your rankings?
When Google detects duplicate content, it simply picks one version to display in the results and does not show the others. It’s not a penalty that would prevent the site from appearing altogether....
John Mueller Jan 22, 2021
★★★ Does Google really analyze video content to detect duplication with articles?
Google does not perform textual analysis of videos to compare them to blog articles. A video and an article with the same content are considered different formats addressing different user intents....
John Mueller Jan 22, 2021
★★ Should you really sacrifice speed for quality content when launching a new site?
For a new website, it's recommended to first create fantastic content, and then gradually improve speed. Speed should not be the top priority at the expense of content quality....
John Mueller Jan 22, 2021
★★★ Does mobile-first indexing really impact your site's rankings?
The transition to mobile-first indexing has no direct effect on rankings. The potential impact comes from the fact that Google might not have access to certain content if it is missing from the mobile...
John Mueller Jan 22, 2021
★★ How can you expedite Google’s content removal request process?
To help Google review a removal request quickly and with the best chances of success, it is recommended that you provide specific information and clearly describe which content on the page belongs to ...
Google Jan 21, 2021
★★ Why does a generic URL sabotage your withdrawal requests on Google?
When making a content removal request, only the specific URL of the page in question should be submitted, and not the entire website URL. This helps Google process the request faster and with a higher...
Google Jan 21, 2021
★★ How can you report illegal content in Google search results without getting lost in the support maze?
Google offers a centralized tool via g.co/legal that allows users to report illegal content on any Google platform, including Google Search. The tool guides users through an intuitive process of selec...
Google Jan 21, 2021
★★★ Can Google really remove illegal content from your site?
Google can remove links to potentially illegal content from its search results pages, but only the website host can remove the content from the site. You need to contact the site owner to remove the c...
Google Jan 21, 2021
★★★ Does Google really use indexing quotas by language?
Google utilizes a quota system to ensure that non-English languages are not overwhelmed by the massive amount of English content. This guarantees that all languages have an equal chance to be indexed,...
Gary Illyes Jan 19, 2021
★★ Why are your academic contents disappearing into the depths of Google's index?
Old doctoral theses and academic publications are generally stored at the lowest levels of Google's index because they are not consulted as frequently as other types of content....
Gary Illyes Jan 19, 2021
★★ Is it true that Google is struggling to find enough quality content in certain Asian languages?
Google faces a challenge of insufficient content in certain Southeast Asian languages and vertical sectors. This is not an indexing issue but rather a lack of quality content created in these language...
Cherry Prommawin Jan 19, 2021
★★★ Why Does Google Flag a Redirected URL as Blocked by Robots.txt When It Actually Isn't?
SEO expert Glenn Gabe indicated on Twitter that, in Search Console, if URL A redirects to URL B which is blocked by robots.txt, URL A will be marked as also blocked by this file, even though, in reali...
John Mueller Jan 18, 2021
★★★ Can Submitting a Disavow File Actually Hurt Your Site in Google's Eyes?
John Mueller explained for the 2,476th time 😉 that submitting a disavow file to Google does not provide any negative signal to Google about the site that submitted it: "The disavow tool is a purely te...
John Mueller Jan 18, 2021
★★★ Should You Use 404 or 410 Status Codes for Better SEO Performance?
John Mueller reiterated on Reddit (sic) that using 404 (Page not found) or 410 (Gone) status codes does not pose a major problem for the search engine....
John Mueller Jan 18, 2021
★★ Why does Google rewrite your titles and meta descriptions even with your optimizations?
Google does not always display 100% of the title and description of all pages in the search results. The systems attempt to automatically determine which titles and descriptions are optimal, and can t...
John Mueller Jan 15, 2021
★★★ Should you really delete your old low-quality content to boost your SEO?
Removing or improving low-quality content does not negatively impact rankings. Google only accounts for indexed pages to evaluate overall quality. It is better to improve existing content, but if that...
John Mueller Jan 15, 2021
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