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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★★ Does Google really cache the rendering of your pages to save crawl budget?
Google makes extensive use of caching to try to reduce the number of requests necessary to display a page....
John Mueller Nov 19, 2020
★★★ Why does Google require full access to embedded resources to properly index your pages?
For rendering, Google's services must be able to access embedded content such as JavaScript files, CSS, images, videos, as well as responses from APIs used on the pages....
John Mueller Nov 19, 2020
★★★ Is crawl budget really a non-issue for most websites?
Crawl budget is a topic that mainly affects large websites, typically those with more than a few hundred thousand URLs....
John Mueller Nov 19, 2020
★★★ Does Google really adjust the crawl budget automatically based on your server's capacity?
Google’s systems automatically determine the maximum number of requests a server can handle over a given period. This parameter is automatically adjusted over time....
John Mueller Nov 19, 2020
★★★ Is it really necessary to reduce embedded resources to improve the crawling of large sites?
For large sites, reducing the number of embedded resources necessary to display a page can aid in Google crawling....
John Mueller Nov 19, 2020
★★ Does optimizing Web Stories really require specific SEO practices or just the basics?
To optimize Web Stories, you need to apply standard SEO practices: meta description, schema.org metadata. Specific AMP elements are also required, such as the poster image and the publisher logo, with...
Pascal Birchler Nov 16, 2020
★★★ How Do Search Algorithms Really Weight SEO Criteria?
Fabrice Canel (Bing) explained in an interview that the weight given to each relevance criterion in the algorithm was determined by machine learning systems. He himself wouldn't be able to say, at any...
Google Nov 16, 2020
★★★ Do Expired Domains Still Work for SEO in 2024?
John Mueller discussed the use of expired domain names in SEO during a hangout. He explained that Google is well aware of all this, and the way some people use expired domains for more or less justifi...
John Mueller Nov 16, 2020
★★ Why is video indexing so complicated for Google (and how can you take advantage of it)?
Video indexing is very complex because it requires processing around 20-24 frames per second plus the audio track to understand the content. Google uses the same indexing mechanism as for images, but ...
Gary Illyes Nov 16, 2020
★★ Why does Google index your images with a completely separate system from the rest of your content?
Google uses a completely different indexing mechanism for images. During content conversion, image tags are extracted and their URLs are sent to a specialized image indexer that performs image recogni...
Gary Illyes Nov 16, 2020
★★★ Are Web Stories really indexed like regular pages by Google?
Web Stories are built on AMP and are canonical AMP pages. They are treated like regular web pages that can be indexed and appear in search, Discover, and even image search....
Pascal Birchler Nov 16, 2020
★★★ Is it true that Google indexes canonical AMP pages just like classic HTML?
When a page is both standalone and canonical (standalone AMP), Google treats it exactly like a normal HTML page and it can be indexed in the same way as a classic HTML page....
Gary Illyes Nov 16, 2020
★★★ Should you really choose between 301 redirect and canonical for merging two sites?
To merge two sites, Google recommends the 301 redirect if the goal is purely SEO and a complete cleanup. The canonical is preferable if you want to keep the old site active for reasons other than SEO....
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★ How does Google really determine the publication date of an article?
To ensure that Google correctly recognizes the date of an article, make sure that the date displayed on the page matches the date in the structured data. Google can display a snippet with a date if it...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★★ Is there really a difference between rel=nofollow and rel=sponsored for affiliate links?
For affiliate links, both rel=nofollow and rel=sponsored are acceptable. Google prefers rel=sponsored for better understanding of the site, but there is no major SEO difference. Both attributes can be...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★ Why doesn't the Google News tab always display your articles in chronological order?
Articles are not necessarily displayed in chronological order in the News tab. Google must be able to correctly recognize the date of the pages via structured data and visible display for appropriate ...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★★ Do you really need to match keywords word for word in your SEO content?
It is not necessary to use exact match keywords in your content. Google recognizes synonyms, misspellings, singulars, and plurals. Machine learning systems understand the subject matter and its releva...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★ Does Google really impose an indexing delay based on the quality of your pages?
Google does not have an intentional delay between indexing a page and displaying it based on quality or mobile usability issues. If the content is in pure HTML, it is indexed immediately after crawlin...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★★ Does Top Stories really use a different algorithm than conventional search?
Top Stories and the News tab in Google Search are variations of conventional search using different ranking algorithms because user intent differs. Any site can appear here without necessarily being a...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
★★ Do you really need to mark your affiliate links to avoid a Google penalty?
Google is capable of recognizing common types of affiliate links. There is no automatic penalty if affiliate links are not explicitly marked, but it is recommended to help Google understand the site b...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2020
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