What does Google say about SEO? /
Artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping search engine optimization and Google's algorithms. This category compiles Google's official statements regarding AI usage in search, including machine learning technologies, large language models (LLMs), and new generative search experiences like SGE and AI Overview. SEO practitioners will find Google's positions on how AI-generated content (ChatGPT, Gemini, Bard) impacts website rankings and organic visibility. Google has clarified its guidelines concerning artificial intelligence for content creation, distinguishing acceptable practices from manipulative techniques that violate search quality standards. Understanding these official declarations is crucial for adapting SEO strategies to algorithmic evolutions, particularly with the increasing integration of machine learning into ranking systems. This category also covers the impact of AI-generated answers in SERPs, E-E-A-T quality criteria applied to AI-assisted content, and recommendations for maintaining organic search presence in the era of generative search. Essential insights include how Google evaluates content quality regardless of production method, focusing on helpfulness and user value rather than creation process. A must-follow resource for staying ahead in modern search engine optimization.
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★★★ Should you really clean up outdated links on your site?
On Reddit, John Mueller responded to a question about old outgoing links pointing to a site that has changed ownership and now hosts dubious content. His answer: Google does not penalize this type of ...
John Mueller Sep 01, 2026
★★ Does Google really launch its SEO updates before officially announcing them?
John Mueller reiterated a position that has been stated numerous times in the past: Google never announces an update late. The announcement comes almost simultaneously with the actual deployment. Why ...
John Mueller Aug 25, 2026
★★★ Why does Google show hreflang URLs marked as ‘not indexed’ in search results?
Gary Illyes (Google) clarified how alternative hreflang URLs work during canonicalization, following a question posed on LinkedIn by Faiez Javaid. The initial question was: If Google selects a single ...
Gary Illyes Aug 18, 2026
★★★ Does Googlebot send other HTTP requests besides GET and POST on your site?
Gary Illyes confirmed on LinkedIn that Google's crawlers do not only send HTTP GET and POST requests, but also HEAD, OPTIONS, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE requests, in response to several questions received...
Gary Illyes Aug 11, 2026
★★★ What should you do when your SEO metadata contradicts itself?
On Bluesky, John Mueller responded to a user who reported that a product page displayed 'out of stock' while the server HTML and structured data indicated 'available'. John Mueller advises against hav...
John Mueller Aug 04, 2026
★★★ Can internal search results truly harm your Google ranking?
If search result pages contain irrelevant terms, they could be perceived as an attempt to manipulate Google’s ranking system, which could affect the overall quality of the site....
John Mueller Jul 30, 2026
★★★ Does the Search Console removal tool really block Google from crawling your pages?
The Search Console removal tool does not prevent pages from being crawled; it only removes them from search results. It is not a solution for managing search result pages....
John Mueller Jul 30, 2026
★★★ Are internal search result pages still considered spam by Google?
Internal search result pages were previously considered automatically generated content and should be blocked, although this is no longer stated in current policies....
John Mueller Jul 30, 2026
★★★ Why does Google ignore your robots.txt rules even when they explicitly disallow access?
A Reddit user was managing a Shopify client whose internal search bar was being exploited by spam: spammer requests were generating search result URLs pointing to third-party sites. The client had blo...
John Mueller Jul 28, 2026
★★★ Should you hide an HTML link to optimize the anchor text that Google considers?
On Reddit, a user explained that he had a homepage containing two links to the same services page: a prominently visible 'Services' button at the top, and a second link in a FAQ section lower down, wh...
John Mueller Jul 21, 2026
★★★ Should You Really Fix All Non-Indexed Pages in Search Console?
The indexing report in Google Search Console should not be treated as a static inventory of things to "fix." Non-indexed pages are not necessarily errors to correct, but rather an opportunity to verif...
Martin Splitt Jul 16, 2026
★★★ Should you stop using the indexing report as a checklist?
The indexing report should be used to spot trends or unexpected changes, rather than as an inventory check. This helps to quickly identify potential technical or configuration issues....
Martin Splitt Jul 16, 2026
★★★ Does the overall performance of a page truly weigh as heavily as the content in SEO?
The quality of a web page is not solely based on textual content but on the overall user experience, including the impact of ads, interstitials, and other disruptive content....
John Mueller Jul 16, 2026
★★★ What happens when Google indexes fewer pages because you have a lot of crawled but ignored content?
A large number of pages marked as 'crawled but not indexed' may indicate a broader quality issue on the site, prompting Google to index fewer pages....
John Mueller Jul 16, 2026
★★★ Should you really be worried about 404 errors in Search Console?
The 404 errors reported in Google Search Console are often expected when pages are deleted. It is not always a red flag and should not be viewed as detrimental to a site's ranking....
John Mueller Jul 16, 2026
★★★ Should you really fix every issue reported in the index coverage report?
It is incorrect to treat the index coverage report as a simple list of things to "fix." This report should be used to detect unexpected patterns and not as a static inventory of pages to correct....
John Mueller Jul 16, 2026
★★★ Do you really need to index all your pages to rank effectively?
There is no optimal ratio between indexed and non-indexed pages. A site can function well even if many pages are not indexed, as long as the core content is well-represented in the index....
Martin Splitt Jul 16, 2026
★★ Should you really block AI crawlers in your robots.txt?
John Mueller stated on Reddit that the "Content Signals" directive in robots.txt, created by Cloudflare last year, has "no effect" on crawlers or LLMs. According to him, it only adds unnecessary weigh...
John Mueller Jul 14, 2026
★★★ Do Hidden URLs in AI Overviews Count as GSC Impressions?
On X, John Mueller confirmed that URLs behind the 'See more' tabs in AI Overviews do not register any impressions unless clicked....
John Mueller Jul 07, 2026
★★★ Is your LCP really the one you think you're optimizing?
John Mueller highlighted the Nuvemshop study published on web.dev to illustrate a common pitfall: the idea that customizable layouts can distort the element the browser measures as LCP. Teams believed...
John Mueller Jul 07, 2026
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