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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★★★★ Are Links Still the Most Important Ranking Factor in SEO?
Statement from John Mueller (who seems to be the only SEO spokesperson at Google who hasn't gone on vacation 🙂): "links are definitely not the most important ranking factor"....
John Mueller Aug 03, 2020
★★★★ Does Google Really Use Analytics Data to Rank Websites in Search Results?
John Mueller explained for the 458,965th time on Twitter that Google does not use data provided by Analytics for its search algorithm......
John Mueller Aug 03, 2020
★★★★ Can Differentiating Interstitials by Traffic Source (Direct vs. SEO) Be Considered Cloaking?
John Mueller explained during a webmaster hangout that it was possible to display different interstitials for direct traffic on one hand and for SEO traffic and Googlebot on the other: rather intrusiv...
John Mueller Aug 03, 2020
★★ Is the Concept of "Link Juice" Really Obsolete for Modern SEO?
John Mueller went all out on Twitter, responding to a user who asked a question about internal linking, criticizing articles that talked about "link juice": "If I were you, I'd forget everything you'v...
John Mueller Aug 03, 2020
★★★ Should you consider Web Stories as part of your SEO content strategy?
Web Stories are a short, informative content format based on AMP that allows the creation of standard HTML pages directly on your own site. They can appear in Google Search, Google Images, and Discove...
John Mueller Jul 31, 2020
★★★ Is page speed really overrated as a Google ranking factor?
Page speed is a ranking factor, but it is not the most important one. Relevant content remains king. Google cannot make it such a strong factor that it would prevent displaying the most relevant conte...
Martin Splitt Jul 27, 2020
★★★ How Can You Successfully Migrate Your Website Without Losing Your Organic Rankings?
John Mueller provided some insights on Reddit regarding website migration. First of all, if there are changes, they will primarily come from a new CMS and/or new content, not from a domain name change...
John Mueller Jul 27, 2020
★★★ Schema.org that's not visible: should you really markup content that doesn't generate rich results?
Certain types of Schema.org help Google understand the context of a page without generating visible rich results. However, adding obvious high-level markup (e.g., WebPage on a webpage) does not provid...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★★ Why isn't optimizing a single SEO factor ever enough to outpace a competitor?
Google employs a multitude of factors for ranking. A site can perform well despite certain weaknesses if other aspects are excellent. To improve ranking against a competitor, you need to optimize the ...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★ Do you really need to duplicate your infographics' content in text for Google?
For infographics, it is recommended to also provide the text or the essential content in textual format (in an article or other format), as Google primarily treats infographics as images and not as te...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★ Do pop-under ads really hurt your SEO rankings?
Google evaluates a page's quality by looking at whether the top of the page is visible. Pop-under ads are an old technique, and their impact depends on their implementation. It is advisable to first a...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★ Why does your site still receive 40% of desktop crawls after transitioning to mobile-first indexing?
Even after moving to mobile-first indexing, a site can receive 40% desktop crawls and 60% mobile. This depends on the type of content (e.g., Google Shopping, AdWords Landing Page Check may use the des...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★★ Do domain migrations and mergers really cause SEO penalties?
Merging or redirecting domains does not trigger a webspam penalty. Simple one-to-one migrations stabilize quickly (a few days/weeks), but content mergers take much longer. It is recommended to separat...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★★ Is it true that Google ignores GDPR interstitials without penalizing your SEO?
Legally mandated interstitials (privacy policy, cookie consent) are recognized and ignored by Google, provided they are displayed over the HTML content (div overlay) and not instead of the content (re...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★ Should you use alt text for infographics instead of converting them to HTML?
For graphs and infographics, it is recommended to integrate them as images with a descriptive alt attribute containing critical information, rather than converting these elements to HTML. Google prima...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★★ Should you really choose a subdirectory over a subdomain for your microsite?
For a microsite related to the main content, Google recommends a subdirectory rather than a subdomain. The subdirectory simplifies technical maintenance (CMS, redirects, Search Console, sitemap) and s...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★★ Should you really set noindex for low-content user profile pages?
User profile pages with little content generally do not drag a site down. Google focuses on important pages. Noindex is only useful if profiles are exploited by spammers or if their massive volume (mi...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★★ Does a completely flat site structure really hurt SEO?
Creating a completely flat structure where all pages are at the same level and link to each other prevents Google from understanding the relationship and relative importance of the pages. A balanced h...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★ Can deep linking to a mobile app really boost your website's SEO?
Linking a website to a mobile app through deep linking does not confer any direct positive ranking effect to the website. Simply creating links to quality content (app or otherwise) does not automatic...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
★★ Do pop-under ads really penalize your organic SEO?
Pop-under ads are considered a very old technique, poorly supported by modern browsers. Google assesses page quality by considering the visibility of the main content. The SEO impact depends on the im...
John Mueller Jul 24, 2020
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