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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★★ Should you really differentiate between the visible date and the structured data date?
The visible date on the page should reflect substantial changes to the main content. For structured data (sitemaps, headers), you can include minor changes like new comments or sidebar adjustments, bu...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Should you really block cookie banners for Googlebot?
Blocking cookie banners for Googlebot is not considered cloaking and will not result in a manual penalty. In most cases, these banners are implemented in JavaScript or HTML, and Google can index the m...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ How can you confirm if Google is truly indexing your lazy-loaded content?
To check if content is indexed, search for an exact phrase in quotes on Google. This is the ultimate proof that the content is indexed. The Inspect URL tool also allows you to view the fully rendered ...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Is alt text truly crucial for your visibility in Google Images?
The alt text (alt tag) is primarily used for Google Image search. It should describe what is visible in the image rather than simply copy the product description. It's an important factor for SEO if i...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Why does Google sometimes show your old meta descriptions in the SERPs?
Even after updating the meta description, Google can temporarily show the old text in snippets if that content was previously on the page and considered relevant to the query. This typically normalize...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Is EAT really a ranking factor or just a Google smokescreen?
EAT is primarily used in the guidelines for Quality Raters; it is not a simple algorithmic factor. EAT recommendations reflect what regular users are also searching for. Improving EAT enhances the sit...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Should you really use cross-domain canonicals to consolidate multiple thematic sites?
Using canonical tags across multiple domains (e.g., 25 thematic stores pointing to a main store) is technically correct. It avoids duplicate content but may redistribute SEO strength among the domains...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Should you really hide cookie consent banners from Googlebot?
Blocking Googlebot from cookie consent banners does not lead to a manual penalty, as long as the main content remains identical for users and for Google. Banners implemented in JavaScript or HTML abov...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Does lazy loading really harm your content's indexing by Google?
When rendering a page, Google uses a fairly high viewport and indexes everything that loads within this viewport. If content requires a specific action (scroll, click on 'Read more'), it will probably...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Should you return a 404 or a 200 on a product page that's out of stock?
For temporarily unavailable products, displaying a page with a 200 code and an email alert option is acceptable. If the unavailability is long, switching to a 404 allows Google to optimize the crawl b...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Should you really delete your out-of-stock product pages to avoid a quality penalty?
Having hundreds or thousands of out-of-stock product pages can create a mass of low-quality content that doesn't attract attention. It's better to focus this content in a gallery or archive page so th...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Should you sync visible and technical dates to enhance your crawl?
The date displayed on the page should reflect major changes to the main content, not minor modifications (comments, sidebar). Dates in the sitemap or structured data can indicate any HTML change to si...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Can your website's language versions really have completely different designs?
The English and French versions of a site can have a completely different design when implementing hreflang. Audiences, content, and keywords can vary drastically from one language to another. This is...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Does Google really analyze the audio of your podcasts for SEO?
Google does not perform any textual analysis of podcast audio files to understand what is being said. If content is essential for SEO, it needs to be presented in text on the page, for example through...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Should you really show cookie banners to Googlebot?
Googlebot should ideally see what a normal user would see from the same location. Since Googlebot mainly crawls from the USA, if American users do not see a cookie banner, Googlebot does not need to s...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ Does FAQ structured data really need to be 100% visible on the page?
The content of FAQ structured data must be visible word-for-word on the page. Algorithms check that the text is present to avoid promising something in the results that the user cannot find on the pag...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Does alternative text for images really enhance SEO?
The alternative text for images is mainly used for image search (Google Images) and for accessibility. It should describe what's visible in the image, not necessarily repeat the product description....
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★ Is it true that Google still indexes Flash content, or should everything be migrated to pure HTML?
Google indexes pages with Flash solely based on the visible HTML content in the rendered DOM, not content within Flash files. The removal of Flash from browsers should not affect site traffic as Googl...
John Mueller Oct 29, 2020
★★★ How Does Google Rank Specific Passages Within a Page Without Creating a Separate Index?
Google recently announced that it would strengthen its ability to rank certain parts of a text (such as a paragraph), even when these are included in overall content with a different meaning. On this ...
Danny Sullivan Oct 27, 2020
Should You Really Limit the Number of Outbound Links on a Web Page?
For years, Google has indicated that there is no limit to the number of outbound links (internal or external) on a web page that are read by the search engine's robots. However, Gary Illyes indicated ...
John Mueller Oct 27, 2020
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