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 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 Word Count Really a Ranking Factor for Google?
In a Reddit discussion, John Mueller indicated that "the number of words on a page is not a relevance criterion" for the search engine....
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ Are JavaScript Redirects Really Safe for Your SEO?
Third episode of the #AskGoogleWebmasters videos, which this time addresses the question of JavaScript redirects. John Mueller explains that Googlebot understands JS redirects well during its crawls a...
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ Does Google Really Index Parts of Pages or Always the Entire Content?
The same John Mueller indicated on Twitter that Google always indexes a page in its entirety and never "bits" or parts of HTML code....
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ How Can You Optimize SEO for Links Placed on Images?
John Mueller reminded us in a hangout that it's important, when a link is placed on an image, for that image to have an ALT attribute, so that anchor text is provided to the search engine, as if the l...
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ Does the mobile-friendly test really guarantee the indexing of your JavaScript?
If your content is visible in Google's mobile-friendly test, it is generally well indexed. However, the mobile-friendly test does not follow the robots.txt file. Use the URL inspection tool in Search ...
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★★ How does Google really handle multiple sitemaps and their URL order?
Google treats each sitemap as a data source. The content is stored before actions are taken based on the natural order of URLs in each sitemap....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Do H2 and H3 tags have an optimal number for SEO?
Google does not consider an optimal number of H2 or H3 header tags per page. What matters is that your markup reflects the logical structure of the content and helps search engines understand the orga...
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★ Can Google really modify your titles by adding your brand?
Google can add brand names to result titles to better contextualize the pages for users, but this does not provide any ranking advantage....
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Should you really abandon nofollow in internal linking to avoid doorway pages?
The presence of many similar sites and pages can be perceived as doorway pages. Instead of hiding links, it's better to reduce and group content to make sites stronger....
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★ Why does Google crawl your pages without indexing them?
High-quality content makes exclusion after crawl unlikely. However, various causes beyond quality can explain a lack of indexing....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Are structured data enough to showcase a page's expertise and credibility?
Presenting information such as authors and reviewers directly on the page, and not just via structured data, is essential for establishing credibility and signaling the E-A-T of a page to Google....
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Should you avoid JavaScript for generating your meta tags?
Script-based automation of meta descriptions or titles, especially through JavaScript during rendering, can pose issues. However, generating HTML pages from Excel or server-side scripts generally does...
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Does relevant content really suffice to rank well without technical optimization?
To achieve favorable rankings, it is essential to create relevant and useful content for users rather than focusing on superficial technical optimizations....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Do cookie banners really harm your site's SEO?
Google considers cookie banners acceptable if they do not hide the main content, but redirects or content hiding can cause issues....
John Mueller Aug 08, 2019
★★★ Does Google Tag Manager really slow down your SEO?
Google focuses on the end effect of technologies on site speed, regardless of the provider, such as Google Tag Manager. Visible slowness can affect SEO ranking....
John Mueller Aug 08, 2019
★★★ Is Voice Search Really Invisible in Search Console?
Second episode of the #AskGoogleWebmasters videos, which this time addresses the question of voice search within Search Console. John Mueller explains on this occasion that questions asked to Google A...
John Mueller Aug 05, 2019
★★★ What's the Maximum Recommended URL Length for SEO?
The same John Mueller indicated during a hangout that it was rather good that a site's URLs should not exceed a length of 1,000 characters....
John Mueller Aug 05, 2019
★★ Should You Really Nofollow All Your Outbound Links to Protect Your SEO?
In a new video format (#AskGoogleWebmasters) very "MattCutts-esque", John Mueller answers the question: Linking Out: Good for SEO? He explains that "nofollow" links should be used in 3 cases: when the...
John Mueller Aug 05, 2019
★★★ Why Is Keeping the Same URL as Long as Possible Crucial for Your SEO?
The same John Mueller, always on Twitter, has "really recommended keeping the same URL for a web page for as long as possible."...
John Mueller Jul 29, 2019
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