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.
Quick SEO Quiz

Test your SEO knowledge in 5 questions

Less than a minute. Find out how much you really know about Google search.

🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★ Do Service Workers really enhance the crawling and indexing of your site?
Service Workers act as intermediaries between the application and the network, allowing for customized cache control and improved resource management in case of network disconnection....
Martin Splitt Apr 29, 2020
★★★ How does the initial load of a SPA potentially ruin your SEO?
In single-page applications (SPAs), the initial load is crucial as it influences the user's perception of speed. Optimize this initial load to enhance the user experience....
Martin Splitt Apr 29, 2020
★★★ Should you ditch HTML5 canvas to ensure your content gets indexed?
Using JavaScript to replace HTML5 text content with canvas text commands is not recommended. Google does not plan to index content in canvases. It is better to build a standard HTML page to ensure the...
Martin Splitt Apr 29, 2020
★★★ Should you really block tracking parameters for Googlebot through cloaking?
Adding tracking parameters for users while blocking them for bots via cloaking is allowed, but it's not a good SEO practice as it complicates the analysis of your traffic and site navigation. It is pr...
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Do non-canonical URLs in internal links really kill PageRank?
Using non-canonical URLs in internal links does not directly affect PageRank flow, but it can complicate analysis in Search Console and lead Google to choose the wrong canonical URL....
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★ Does Googlebot really submit your forms and is it something to worry about?
It is extremely rare for Googlebot to submit forms unless it is the only way to access content (such as on some government websites). Googlebot avoids this to prevent generating unwanted actions like ...
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Can Googlebot really execute your AJAX requests and index the JavaScript-loaded content?
Googlebot can execute AJAX requests when rendering a page, particularly to load additional content displayed with JavaScript. Therefore, it is crucial not to block these requests in the robots.txt fil...
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★ Should you really switch from a .com to a .ca to exclusively target Canada?
Redirecting a site from a dot-com to a dot-ca is feasible even if you are targeting only Canada. It will not have a major negative impact if managed correctly....
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Should you block URL parameters in robots.txt to save your crawl budget?
For managing large structures with parameters in URLs, do not block in robots.txt but rather use techniques like canonicalization or noindex removal, as this can initially influence crawl priorities....
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Are your internal links sabotaging Google’s canonical choice?
Google selects a canonical URL by using various factors, such as rel=canonical, internal and external links, as well as redirects. If the internal links point to non-canonical URLs, it can complicate ...
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Should you really redirect all your ccTLDs to a single domain?
If all versions of ccTLDs contain the same content in English and are maintained solely for historical reasons, it may be wise to redirect them to a single site to avoid duplication and simplify manag...
John Mueller Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Do AJAX calls really consume crawl budget or not?
When a site uses AJAX calls to load content, these resources can be indexed but do not affect the crawl budget. Use the HTTP X-Robots-Tag headers to prevent their indexing without impacting the render...
Martin Splitt Apr 28, 2020
★★★ Is Infinite Scroll Secretly Killing Your Organic Rankings?
Martin Splitt explained during a hangout that certain infinite scroll systems on websites could cause SEO damage. For example, when part of the content isn't loaded until the user scrolls down their s...
Martin Splitt Apr 27, 2020
★★★ Do Google's Internal SEO Teams Really Have Access to Privileged Algorithm Information?
John Mueller explained in one of his "Ask Google Webmasters" video series that Google's SEO spokespeople and, more generally, the team managing the search engine don't provide any information to Googl...
John Mueller Apr 27, 2020
★★★ Should you really clean up all internal links after a 301 redirect?
To help Google focus on the new URL after a 301 redirect, it is advisable to update internal links, sitemap files, and any other references pointing to the original page so that they point to the new ...
John Mueller Apr 22, 2020
★★★ Does the URL inspection tool really solve your canonicalization issues?
With the URL inspection tool in Search Console, you can check which URL Google has selected as canonical. If it’s not the desired page, search for and correct the signals pointing to the old URL....
John Mueller Apr 22, 2020
★★★ How Does Google Handle Sudden Search Spikes and Fleeting Trends?
John Mueller explained during a hangout that Google's algorithm does not currently take into account changes in internet user behavior due to the coronavirus, for example: searches to buy toilet paper...
John Mueller Apr 20, 2020
★★★ Should You Still Optimize the Noscript Tag for SEO in 2024?
Martin Splitt explained during a hangout that Google no longer supports the "noscript" tag, except for images. But even this approach could soon be reconsidered by removing this support for images, if...
Martin Splitt Apr 20, 2020
★★★ Why Has Differentiation Become Essential for Ranking Well on Google?
John Mueller indicated in a hangout that it was very difficult to "stand out from the crowd" when you offer the same information on your site as dozens of other information sources on the Web (he was ...
John Mueller Apr 20, 2020
★★★ Why Does Google Sometimes Ignore Your Meta Description in Search Results?
John Mueller indicated in a webmaster hangout the various reasons why Google will not use the content of a page's meta "description" tag in its snippet (page summary in search results): 1. The meta de...
John Mueller Apr 20, 2020
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.