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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★★★ Should you really use rel=canonical for syndicated content?
For syndicated content, Google recommends using rel=canonical to point to the original source. If that's not possible, Google will try to recognize the syndicated content and rank the original source....
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★★ Does PageSpeed Insights really reflect what Google sees on your site?
PageSpeed Insights is based on Chrome, not on Googlebot. Googlebot also uses Chrome for rendering but must follow robots.txt for embedded resources (CSS, JS). PageSpeed Insights is not subject to robo...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★★ Is it true that your PageSpeed Insights tests don't accurately reflect what Google really measures regarding Core Web Vitals?
For ranking with Core Web Vitals, Google uses what real users see (field data), not the renders from Googlebot or PageSpeed Insights. Lab tools (controlled environment) provide predictions, not actual...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★★ Do user comments really count for SEO?
Google considers comments as part of the page content. While recognized as the comments section, they are treated slightly differently. If users find your pages through the comments, deleting those co...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★★ Does rel=canonical to the source really protect syndicated content?
For syndicated content, Google recommends using rel=canonical to the original source. If not possible, Google will attempt to recognize the syndicated content. The original site will generally be favo...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★★ Do 301 redirects really transfer all ranking signals without any loss?
With a 301 redirect, Google groups the old and new URLs together and transfers all signals (links, etc.) to the canonical URL (usually the destination). It's also necessary to update internal and exte...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★ Why do PageSpeed Insights and Googlebot show different results for your site?
PageSpeed Insights is based on Chrome, not Googlebot. Googlebot also uses Chrome for rendering but must obey robots.txt for all embedded content (CSS/JS), unlike PageSpeed Insights. The differences be...
John Mueller Feb 05, 2021
★★ Is it true that Google never disconnects your old pages during a migration?
During a migration, Google does not de-index the old page before re-indexing the new one. The process works via canonical change: Google sees the redirect, checks that the content is identical, and sw...
John Mueller Jan 29, 2021
★★★ Does Google really transfer all signals in bulk during a complete site migration?
During a complete site migration, if Google can recognize that all indexable content has been moved, it transfers all signals in bulk to the new domain. This is more efficient than a partial migration...
John Mueller Jan 29, 2021
★★ Should you really submit both mobile AND desktop versions in your sitemap?
If the mobile/desktop annotations are correctly implemented in the pages themselves, it is unnecessary to include both versions (mobile and desktop) in the sitemap. Submitting either of the two URLs i...
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★★ Why does CrUX collect your Core Web Vitals even if you block Googlebot?
The Core Web Vitals use data from the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), based on real user experiences. The data accumulates even if Googlebot is blocked by robots.txt or noindex, as it originates...
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★ Why do new sites experience extreme volatility in indexing and ranking?
Newly created or indexed sites may experience instability in initial indexing and ranking. This volatility is normal and does not necessarily indicate a problem with the site....
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★ Does using HTTPS for your XML sitemap namespace hurt your SEO ranking?
In XML sitemaps, the namespace can be declared in HTTP or HTTPS without functional impact. Google treats both the same way. However, for consistency and maintenance reasons, it is recommended to follo...
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★ Is it really sufficient to include only one version, mobile or desktop, in your XML sitemap?
For a site with separate mobile and desktop URLs, it is enough to include only one version in the sitemap if the bidirectional annotations are present in the HTML code. There is no need to include bot...
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★★ How does Google now assign AMP cache's CrUX data to the origin?
CrUX data from the AMP cache is now attributed to the origin. If canonicalization is correctly set up between AMP and non-AMP, data from both versions is taken into account....
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★ Why does your new site fluctuate like a yo-yo in the SERPs?
For a recently created and indexed site, it is normal for rankings and indexing to be unstable at first. Fluctuations do not necessarily indicate a problem but rather a normal evaluation phase by Goog...
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★ Does the http:// or https:// namespace in an XML sitemap really affect crawlability?
In the XML Sitemap, using http:// or https:// for the namespace URL (xmlns) has no functional importance. Google treats both identically. Conventionally, http:// is more common....
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★★ Can you really block the collection of Core Web Vitals using robots.txt or noindex?
Core Web Vitals data comes from the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) based on real users. Blocking Google via robots.txt or noindex does not prevent the collection of this data, as it is measured ...
Google Jan 28, 2021
★★★ Why can't Googlebot see links revealed after a user clicks?
Links that only appear after a user action (click) will not be seen by Googlebot, as it does not interact with pages. However, if the links are present in the source code but simply hidden (then revea...
Martin Splitt Jan 27, 2021
★★ Could removing JavaScript links make your pages invisible to Google?
Removing navigation links in JavaScript impacts the link graph. If the pages become orphaned without other access methods, Google may have difficulty reintegrating them into the site structure. Sitema...
Martin Splitt Jan 27, 2021
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