What does Google say about SEO? /
The Crawl & Indexing category compiles all official Google statements regarding how Googlebot discovers, crawls, and indexes web pages. These fundamental processes determine which pages from your website will be included in Google's index and potentially appear in search results. This section addresses critical technical mechanisms: crawl budget management to optimize allocated resources, strategic implementation of robots.txt files to control content access, noindex directives for page exclusion, XML sitemap configuration to enhance discoverability, along with JavaScript rendering challenges and canonical URL implementation. Google's official positions on these topics are essential for SEO professionals as they help avoid technical blocking issues, accelerate new content indexation, and prevent unintentional deindexing. Understanding Google's crawling and indexing processes forms the foundation of any effective search engine optimization strategy, directly impacting organic visibility and SERP performance. Whether troubleshooting indexation problems, optimizing crawl efficiency for large websites, or ensuring proper URL canonicalization, these official guidelines provide authoritative answers to complex technical SEO questions that shape modern web presence and discoverability.
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★★★ Does Googlebot really ignore Chrome's security restrictions?
Chrome's security changes, such as blocking mixed content or not supporting TLS 1.0/1.1, do not apply to Googlebot. These security measures do not directly influence Googlebot's crawling ability on si...
Google Nov 06, 2019
★★★ Is your mobile version truly ready for Mobile-First indexing?
After the shift to Mobile-First indexing, content is primarily indexed from the mobile version. If the mobile version isn't correctly set up, it can cause visibility issues for certain URLs in search ...
Google Nov 06, 2019
★★★ Does BERT Really Require No Technical SEO Optimization Whatsoever?
Danny Sullivan reiterated on Twitter, as he typically does after almost every "core update," that there were no real modifications (particularly technical ones) to anticipate on your site following BE...
Danny Sullivan Nov 04, 2019
★★★ Should You Split Your XML Sitemap Into Multiple Smaller Files Instead of One Large File?
John Mueller explained during a Reddit discussion that there is no ideal size for an XML Sitemap file. Generally speaking, he added that the size of this file does not influence the crawling of the si...
John Mueller Nov 04, 2019
★★★ Is it true that hidden content in tabs and accordions is actually considered by Google?
In mobile-first indexing, Google treats loaded but hidden content, such as that behind a tab or dropdown menu, as ordinary page content, as long as it is already in the default HTML....
John Mueller Nov 01, 2019
★★★ Should you be concerned about a high number of HTTP 410 statuses on your site?
A high number of URLs returning a 410 status has no negative impact on rankings. Over time, Googlebot is more focused on URLs returning a 200 status, but an increased number of 410s is neither a good ...
John Mueller Nov 01, 2019
★★ Should you really use the URL removal tool to manage redirects?
The URL removal tool in Search Console should not be used for URLs that simply redirect, as it does not change indexing. Use it only if you must urgently prevent content from appearing in search resul...
John Mueller Nov 01, 2019
★★★ Why is it absolutely critical to preserve your URLs during a relaunch for your SEO?
During a site relaunch, it’s best to keep old URLs as much as possible. If URL changes are necessary, use appropriate redirects and provide sitemaps to help Google understand the modifications....
John Mueller Oct 31, 2019
★★ Is it really necessary to fill in the priority and changefreq fields in your XML sitemaps?
The 'priority' and 'change frequency' fields in XML sitemap files are not critical for Google. Only the 'lastmod' attribute is important for facilitating change detection....
John Mueller Oct 31, 2019
★★★ Can layout changes really hurt your organic search rankings?
Significant layout changes that emphasize non-informative elements, such as a booking tool, can make it difficult for Google to determine the main content of a page, which can affect its indexing and ...
John Mueller Oct 31, 2019
★★ Does using noindex really decrease the crawl frequency of your pages?
Using noindex on certain pages may reduce their crawl frequency. Decide whether you want to keep a page always indexed, or use noindex if you are certain it won't add value for a long time....
John Mueller Oct 31, 2019
★★★ Are lingering indexing problems due to a Google bug or technical issues with your site?
If indexing issues persist after the August 8th bug, they are not related to this bug, but may be due to individual technical problems of the site....
John Mueller Oct 30, 2019
★★★ Does Google really speed up news indexing with sitemaps?
Using sitemaps and ensuring that the information is easily extractable helps to quickly bring new content to the forefront of Google searches....
John Mueller Oct 30, 2019
★★★ Can non-mobile-friendly pages really survive Google's mobile-first indexing?
Non-mobile pages can still be indexed through mobile-first indexing, but they will not be considered user-friendly for mobile users....
John Mueller Oct 30, 2019
★★ Should you block parameterized URLs in robots.txt or through Search Console settings?
If you use robots.txt to block a URL, we cannot use its content, but the crawl preference settings with parameterized URLs do not actually block the crawl....
John Mueller Oct 30, 2019
★★★ Should you really stop using the site: command to count your indexed pages?
You shouldn't rely on the 'site:' command for the exact count of indexed pages; it's better to use data from Search Console....
John Mueller Oct 30, 2019
★★★ Is it true that crawl budget is managed at the server level rather than the directory level?
Google assesses load capacity at the host server level, not at the folder level, to manage crawl budget....
John Mueller Oct 30, 2019
★★★ Could a poorly configured sitemap harm your website?
A poorly configured sitemap does not incur a penalty. If the sitemap is well-created and useful, it will be beneficial for the site....
Google Oct 28, 2019
★★★ Does submitting a sitemap guarantee your pages will be indexed?
Submitting a sitemap does not guarantee the indexing of all URLs. However, it helps Google know which pages exist, which is generally advantageous....
Google Oct 28, 2019
★★ How can you diagnose why your WordPress URLs are missing from Google's index?
In WordPress, it's possible that a parent sitemap lists lower-level sitemaps where the URLs are actually located; using the site: operator can help identify if a site is indexed....
Google Oct 28, 2019
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