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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★★★ Is Google really indexing content that doesn't exist on your site?
Google doesn't invent content for indexing; it uses what your site provides. If gambling content appears in search results for your site when that's not your niche, it's because your server is serving...
Google Aug 09, 2023
★★ Can you really use hreflang for non-translated content targeting different regions?
Hreflang can be used to link very similar content targeting different countries, even if it's not a direct translation. Hreflang is for alternative linguistic or regional versions, not specifically fo...
Google Aug 09, 2023
★★ Should you really stop relying on Google cache to diagnose indexation issues?
Google cache has no importance for indexation. It is not a technical SEO tool. Use Search Console if you want to diagnose the status of a URL....
Google Aug 09, 2023
★★★ Why isn't perfect technical optimization enough to rank your site anymore?
Having a sitemap, indexed pages, updated content, backlinks, and on-page optimization is not enough to rank. Like a book or a restaurant, technical aspects are important but there is much more to do t...
Google Aug 09, 2023
★★★ How Many Times Can You Actually Repeat a Keyword Before Google Penalizes You?
You're worried that Google might consider your content as keyword stuffing. According to John Mueller, there wouldn't be much to worry about, as long as you don't include 300 to 500 mentions of the sa...
John Mueller Aug 08, 2023
★★★ Does Linking to Wikipedia or CNN Really Improve Your SEO Rankings?
During a conversation on Reddit, John Mueller took the time to answer a question about outbound links. His interlocutor specifically wanted to know if Google considered a small site more credible when...
John Mueller Aug 08, 2023
★★★ Does Google really index rendered HTML instead of the raw source code?
Google Search uses rendered HTML for indexing. This HTML represents what Google Search saw on the page during crawling and rendering. You can use it with a search function to verify whether content is...
Google Aug 02, 2023
★★★ Are JavaScript resources blocked by robots.txt really killing your indexation?
The tool shows which requests were made during crawl and rendering, and why they failed. If resources loaded via JavaScript are blocked by robots.txt and contain important content, Google Search will ...
Google Aug 02, 2023
★★ Does the URL inspection tool really show you how Google discovers your pages?
The URL inspection tool shows how Google discovered a page: either via a sitemap or via a referring page, specifying which page that was. This information helps you understand how Googlebot finds your...
Google Aug 02, 2023
★★★ Should You Really Adapt Your Titles Based on What Google Shows in the SERPs?
On Mastodon, John Mueller responded to a user who was wondering whether it was wise to rewrite a page's title based on how Google displays it in the SERPs. The search engine notably tends to remove th...
John Mueller Aug 01, 2023
★★★ Can AI Really Boost Your Content's Ranking on Google?
In response to Merrill Brown, head of G/O Media, who was celebrating the positive reception of AI-generated content in search engines, Danny Sullivan stated that this was not the case: "at least, not ...
Danny Sullivan Jul 25, 2023
★★★ Should You Showcase Author Awards to Boost Your SEO Rankings?
Last May, Jennifer Granito from Google Search Central provided an update on the Topic Authority system designed to highlight the most relevant content and experts on Google News and in Search. A few d...
Danny Sullivan Jul 25, 2023
★★★ Can Fake Profiles Really Deceive Google in 2024?
In a series of sharp tweets, John Mueller shared his perspective on the use of fake profiles designed to deceive users, whether on LinkedIn or Google. After reminding us that Google uses machine intel...
John Mueller Jul 25, 2023
★★★ Is Page Loading Speed Really a Google Ranking Factor or Just an SEO Myth?
On Twitter, a user wanted to know what John Mueller thought about Page Speed and more specifically whether it was a ranking factor for Google. Mueller responded by stating that the notion of Page Spee...
John Mueller Jul 25, 2023
★★★ Should you really avoid cheap domain extensions for your SEO?
You should avoid the cheapest or free TLDs because they are often saturated with spam. If more than 99% of a TLD's content is spam, Google may not retrieve sitemaps from those domains....
Martin Splitt Jul 20, 2023
★★★ Should You Really Avoid Changing Your 301 Redirects Too Frequently?
On Reddit, John Mueller explained that it is possible to cancel a permanent 301 redirect, but that he doesn't recommend doing this to redirect content elsewhere in the short term: "I would prefer that...
John Mueller Jul 18, 2023
★★★ Do Core Web Vitals Really Impact Your Rankings in Google's Helpful Content System?
Google has clarified how Core Web Vitals are used in its helpful content ranking system....
John Mueller Jul 18, 2023
★★★ How can you optimize your content for Google's Search Generative Experience (SGE)?
Search Labs includes the Search Generative Experience (SGE), a new feature that uses generative artificial intelligence to provide more information and context to user searches. This technology aims t...
Google Jul 13, 2023
★★ How can you create unique content for identical products without falling into duplicate content traps?
To make a product page unique when sold by multiple vendors, you need to offer your own perspective: a genuine review, a product test, or useful information beyond the manufacturer's text and specific...
Martin Splitt Jul 11, 2023
★★ Should You Place Your Blog Posts in a /blog/ Subfolder or at the Root of Your Site?
On Reddit, John Mueller responded to a user who was wondering whether it was better to place their blog articles in a /blog/ directory or if it was possible to put them at the root. His response: "Goo...
John Mueller Jul 11, 2023
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