What does Google say about SEO? /
This category compiles official Google statements regarding Google Discover and Google News, two critical content distribution platforms for publishers. Google Discover has emerged as a significant traffic source, operating on a personalized recommendation model without user queries. Official Google positions on these topics are vital for understanding content selection criteria, eligibility factors, and necessary technical optimizations. SEO professionals will find guidance on E-E-A-T quality requirements, technical specifications including structured data markup, AMP formats, and editorial policy compliance. Google News maintains strict inclusion standards, while Discover prioritizes engagement metrics and contextual relevance. Mastering these official guidelines enables publishers to optimize visibility within these feeds, maximize referral traffic, and align content strategies with recommendation algorithms. These declarations also illuminate algorithm updates specific to these platforms and evolving journalistic standards expected by Google. Understanding the nuances between these two services helps publishers differentiate their optimization approaches and capitalize on opportunities for increased content distribution beyond traditional search results.
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★★★ Should you really avoid updating publication dates without changing the content?
It is not advisable to change the publication date of an article without altering its content, as it may mislead users. Date changes without content modification are not considered good practice from ...
Google Jan 17, 2017
★★ Does AMP guarantee a spot in Top Stories and News?
The results of the News and Top Stories sections on Google are determined algorithmically, taking into account several factors such as AMP. There is no guarantee of appearance for any specific action....
John Mueller Jan 13, 2017
★★★ Should you really fill your blog posts with images to rank better?
There is no need to use a fixed number of images in a blog post to achieve a good ranking. The use of images is only recommended if they add value to the content for users....
Google Dec 13, 2016
★★★ Where can you find Google's official recommendations when blog articles become outdated?
Google's information and recommendations are typically updated in the Help Center, but not always in blog articles. Outdated content may be labeled to indicate that it is no longer valid....
John Mueller Dec 06, 2016
★★★ Is it true that Google permits automation for content?
Automating titles or descriptions for content, such as faceted navigation in online stores, is acceptable. However, using automation to create original content, such as fully rewritten articles, is no...
John Mueller Nov 24, 2016
★★★ Can comments really dilute the SEO quality of your content?
Comments can add value to your article page, especially if you have high-quality feedback. Otherwise, they can dilute the perceived quality of your content....
John Mueller Nov 04, 2016
★★★ Is it really necessary to avoid internal content duplication to rank higher?
To avoid duplicate content, ensure that your article page is the definitive and most complete source of information, avoiding full content replication elsewhere on the site....
John Mueller Nov 04, 2016
★★★ Should you really noindex author archives in WordPress to avoid duplicate content?
For content management systems like WordPress, ensure that the article page is the most comprehensive and consider using noindex on pages like author archives to manage the indexing of duplicate conte...
John Mueller Nov 04, 2016
★★ Should you really update your old content to keep it ranking well?
Older content, like a research article that remains relevant, does not need to be frequently updated to stay pertinent in Google's eyes. However, adding context or new information when it is relevant ...
John Mueller Oct 21, 2016
★★ Should you really structure your URLs for Google News with specific directories?
Generally, it is not necessary to structure the URLs of Google News articles with specific folders. However, each article must have a unique URL to be properly indexed....
John Mueller Oct 06, 2016
★★ What happens when you change your template or migrate to HTTPS? Could it really hurt your Google News traffic?
Template changes and migrating to HTTPS can affect Google News traffic if the content is not read correctly by the algorithm. Contact the Google News team if issues arise....
John Mueller Oct 06, 2016
★★★ How can you effectively test and optimize your AMP pages to boost their visibility in search results?
It is advisable to check AMP pages using testing tools and to examine how they appear in search results once indexed. This includes testing the carousel if structured article data is used....
John Mueller Aug 23, 2016
★★★ Google News: How can you avoid misleading headlines that harm your SEO?
Google News publishers must ensure that their articles are genuine news content. Titles must accurately reflect the content to avoid misleading users, which would be against Google's guidelines....
Google Aug 18, 2016
★★ Why can your site thrive in organic search yet remain unseen in Google News?
Rankings in Google News can differ significantly from organic search results, even if your content is often cited by major publications....
John Mueller Jul 28, 2016
★★★ Does content length really affect its Google ranking?
Google does not impose a minimum length for an article. The key is to provide useful and relevant content for the user, whether it is short or long....
John Mueller Jul 08, 2016
★★★ Does Google really penalize duplicate content?
Google does not penalize for duplicate content. If a copy of an article is deemed more contextual than the original, it may rank better....
John Mueller Jul 08, 2016
★★★ Does author markup really influence Google rankings?
Google does not consider author markup when determining content quality, but it tries to find the origin of an article when it is duplicated across several sites....
John Mueller Jul 01, 2016
★★★ Is it true that AMP is really limited to static content for SEO?
Currently, AMP is mainly suitable for static content, such as news articles. There are ongoing efforts to support more dynamic content....
Emeric Jun 15, 2016
★★★ Do you really need structured data to appear in the AMP Top Stories carousel?
To be visible in the Top Stories carousel with AMP pages, they must have structured data markup such as Article, NewsArticle, BlogPosting, or VideoObject....
Elena Jun 15, 2016
★★★ Does content length really affect Google rankings?
Google assesses the relevance of content based on what the user is searching for, without bias regarding the article's length. Search results can include both long and short articles, depending on the...
John Mueller Jun 03, 2016
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