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 Nofollow Links Really Show Up in Search Console and Pass PageRank?
In a new video on the #AskGoogleWebmasters YouTube channel, John Mueller explains that "nofollow" links do not transmit any signals (and particularly no PageRank) to Google, but that they do appear in...
John Mueller Aug 19, 2019
★★★ Does Amazon's Alexa Rank Actually Influence Google Rankings?
Some questions asked to Google spokespeople are truly bizarre... For instance, a user asked John Mueller on Twitter whether Amazon's Alexa Rank played a role in Google's relevance algorithm. John's an...
John Mueller Aug 19, 2019
★★★ How can you effectively verify your robots.txt file to avoid crawl errors?
To verify your site's robots.txt file, you can do so directly via your browser by accessing the dedicated URL or use the robots.txt testing tool in Google Search Console....
Google Aug 16, 2019
★★★ Should you really block your admin pages in robots.txt to save on crawl budget?
It is wise to use robots.txt to restrict the indexing of unnecessary pages such as admin or calendar pages, in order to decrease unnecessary traffic to the server....
Google Aug 16, 2019
★★★ Do nofollow links really transmit zero PageRank?
When Google encounters links with the nofollow attribute, it takes note of them but does not send any signals, such as PageRank, to the target page of the link....
John Mueller Aug 15, 2019
★★★ Does Google Really Index Parts of Pages or Always the Entire Content?
The same John Mueller indicated on Twitter that Google always indexes a page in its entirety and never "bits" or parts of HTML code....
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★ Is Word Count Really a Ranking Factor for Google?
In a Reddit discussion, John Mueller indicated that "the number of words on a page is not a relevance criterion" for the search engine....
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ How Can You Optimize SEO for Links Placed on Images?
John Mueller reminded us in a hangout that it's important, when a link is placed on an image, for that image to have an ALT attribute, so that anchor text is provided to the search engine, as if the l...
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ Are JavaScript Redirects Really Safe for Your SEO?
Third episode of the #AskGoogleWebmasters videos, which this time addresses the question of JavaScript redirects. John Mueller explains that Googlebot understands JS redirects well during its crawls a...
John Mueller Aug 12, 2019
★★★ How does Google really handle multiple sitemaps and their URL order?
Google treats each sitemap as a data source. The content is stored before actions are taken based on the natural order of URLs in each sitemap....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Are structured data enough to showcase a page's expertise and credibility?
Presenting information such as authors and reviewers directly on the page, and not just via structured data, is essential for establishing credibility and signaling the E-A-T of a page to Google....
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Do excluded pages in the index really consume your crawl budget?
Excluded pages count towards the crawl budget, but they are crawled much less frequently than valid pages. If a site is nearing its crawl limit, important pages take priority....
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★ Does Google Maps really depend on user behavior for local visibility?
The functionality of Google Maps in search results is influenced by the entered keywords as well as by the examined user behavior....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Why do incorrect local addresses sabotage your local SEO?
Any incorrect indication of businesses or fictitious addresses on Google Maps should be avoided as it can lead to decreased credibility and SEO issues....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Should you choose ccTLDs or geo-targeted subfolders for your international SEO?
ccTLDs and generic domains configured in Search Console are equivalent for targeting geographic areas, provided that the geo-targeted sections are clearly defined....
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Should you avoid JavaScript for generating your meta tags?
Script-based automation of meta descriptions or titles, especially through JavaScript during rendering, can pose issues. However, generating HTML pages from Excel or server-side scripts generally does...
John Mueller Aug 09, 2019
★★ Why does Google crawl your pages without indexing them?
High-quality content makes exclusion after crawl unlikely. However, various causes beyond quality can explain a lack of indexing....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Does relevant content really suffice to rank well without technical optimization?
To achieve favorable rankings, it is essential to create relevant and useful content for users rather than focusing on superficial technical optimizations....
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★★ Do H2 and H3 tags have an optimal number for SEO?
Google does not consider an optimal number of H2 or H3 header tags per page. What matters is that your markup reflects the logical structure of the content and helps search engines understand the orga...
Google Aug 09, 2019
★★ Could a manual penalty arise from using an incorrect schema.org Organization Name?
It is imperative to maintain correct and precise data in the schema markup to avoid manual corrective actions....
Google Aug 09, 2019
🔔

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.