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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★★★ Could technical problems truly explain why you're not ranking?
Technical problems, such as the non-indexation of recent content, can be reasons why a site is not ranking well. It is advisable to check if web scraping is occurring correctly and if the content is s...
John Mueller Feb 23, 2018
★★★ Is the Speed Update really targeting all sites, or just specific categories?
The Speed Update is set to launch in July, not January. It aims to evaluate how quickly content becomes visible to users and the server's response speed. This mainly impacts sites with rapidly varying...
John Mueller Feb 22, 2018
★★★ Should you really exclude noindex pages from your XML sitemaps?
It is advised not to include pages with noindex in the sitemap files, as this creates confusion regarding indexing intent. Use noindex to quickly remove URLs from unwanted content....
John Mueller Feb 22, 2018
★★ Is it true that Google collaborates with WordPress to boost your SEO?
Google strives to collaborate with WordPress to enhance the optimization of content generated by this CMS, thus facilitating the implementation of good SEO practices such as HTTPS....
John Mueller Feb 22, 2018
★★★ Is your mobile site truly in sync with your desktop version?
Google recommends ensuring that mobile and desktop versions of sites are correctly synchronized to avoid indexing problems. With the shift to mobile-first indexing, it is crucial to provide complete m...
John Mueller Feb 22, 2018
★★★ Is it true that Google really indexes what your users see with JavaScript?
Google constantly improves its ability to render and index pages using JavaScript. However, it is essential to ensure that the rendered version accurately reflects the content visible to users....
John Mueller Feb 22, 2018
★★★ Should You Really Stop Buying Links in 2024 to Avoid Google Penalties?
John Mueller reminded on Twitter that selling and buying links was against Google's recommendations (and therefore subject to penalties), whether the buying and selling sites are small or large....
John Mueller Feb 12, 2018
★★★ Should You Change Your XML Sitemap Name Daily to Improve SEO Rankings?
John Mueller explained in a hangout that it's not a good idea to modify the name of your XML Sitemap files daily (for example with a date, like sitemap-2018-02-12.xml, etc.) with numerous redundant an...
John Mueller Feb 12, 2018
★★★ Should You Really Limit Each Page to a Single Keyword for SEO?
A user asked in a forum whether it was possible to optimize a web page for two keywords. Googler Aaseesh Marina responded that he didn't see why this wouldn't be possible, as long as the page's conten...
Google Feb 05, 2018
★★ Does Page Loading Speed Really Impact Your Page Indexing?
Regarding last month's Speed Update, John Mueller and Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that while this new algorithm would affect page rankings on mobile, it does not impact indexing in any way. A slo...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2018
★★ Are PWAs Really More Complex than AMP for SEO?
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) require specific SEO considerations because they rely on JavaScript. Ensure that Googlebot can index the content requiring JavaScript rendering. PWAs can be more complicate...
John Mueller Feb 02, 2018
★★ Does updating publication dates really improve Google rankings?
Updating content with fresher material can influence its ranking depending on the query and user expectations. Modification dates should be updated to accurately reflect significant content changes....
John Mueller Feb 02, 2018
★★★ Should you really stabilize your sitemap files to optimize crawling?
For sites that produce a lot of content every day, it is better to keep sitemap files as stable as possible to optimize recrawling by Googlebot. Dynamic file names are not an issue if the URLs change ...
John Mueller Feb 02, 2018
★★★ Is keyword density still a key SEO factor in 2025?
Keyword density is not a relevant indicator for SEO. It is more important for keywords to be contextually referenced on the page, allowing search engines to grasp what the content is about....
John Mueller Feb 02, 2018
★★ Should you really index all your paginated pages?
Managing paged pages depends on your site. If content is available through multiple categories, it is not necessary to index all paginated pages. This can vary for news sites or highly dynamic content...
John Mueller Feb 02, 2018
★★ Does the URL structure really affect Google rankings?
URL structures do not directly influence SEO as long as they are used for effective tracking and evaluation. However, the choice between a thematic structure or by content type should be based on anal...
John Mueller Feb 02, 2018
★★ Should You Include GPS Coordinates in Structured Data for Local SEO?
John Mueller explained in a hangout that the search engine does not take into account Schema.org structured data tags providing GPS coordinates in its algorithm....
John Mueller Jan 29, 2018
★★★ Should You Really Submit All Your URLs to Google Every Month to Prevent It from Forgetting Them?
John Mueller gently mocked a Twitter user who explained that all URLs of a website should be submitted to Google every month "so that the search engine doesn't forget them". The Googler explained that...
John Mueller Jan 29, 2018
★★★ Should You Really Translate Image ALT Attributes to Optimize Your Multilingual SEO?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that it was important, in terms of SEO, to also translate the ALT attributes (no, we don't say "ALT tags" 🙂) of a site's images, since this text is read by the search...
John Mueller Jan 29, 2018
★★★ Should you use noindex on empty cart pages of your e-commerce site?
It is acceptable to apply a noindex tag on cart pages that do not add value in terms of SEO or content for users, such as those that only display error messages when they are empty....
Google Jan 26, 2018
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