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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Will Google Really Warn Us Before Major Penguin Updates Hit?
Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that Google would make sure to be "transparent" regarding Penguin if major changes were to take place in the future on this algorithmic filter. It's difficult to know ...
Gary Illyes Jan 30, 2017
★★ How Is Google Now Rolling Out Its Algorithms Internationally?
Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that, increasingly, Google is trying to perform algorithm launches at a global level from the start and not in one country (often the United States) or one language (E...
Gary Illyes Jan 30, 2017
★★★ How Quickly Can You Remove a Google Penalty for Intrusive Interstitials?
Regarding the mobile interstitial penalty launched in mid-January, John Mueller indicated that if a site was penalized in this way and corrected the issue, the penalty would be lifted at the next craw...
John Mueller Jan 30, 2017
How Does Google Really Rank Results in a Site: Query?
A frequently asked question: how does Google rank results for a "site:" query? John Mueller indicated that the homepage is displayed first but that afterwards, there is no specific ranking or order ta...
John Mueller Jan 30, 2017
Should You Still Track Penguin Version Numbers to Adjust Your SEO Strategy?
On the other hand, still on the subject of Penguin, the same Gary Illyes, also on Twitter, indicated that there would no longer be numbered versions (the last one was 4.0 in August 2016). Moreover, ma...
Gary Illyes Jan 30, 2017
Should You Enable International Targeting in Search Console Without Fearing SEO Penalties?
The same Gary Illyes, again on Twitter, indicated that specifying a target country in the "International Targeting" section of Search Console does not diminish the site's relevance score and visibilit...
Gary Illyes Jan 23, 2017
★★★ Can Google's Quality Raters Actually Penalize Your Website?
Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that Google had Quality Raters not only in the United States, but "in tons of countries" around the world, in order to rate search results like a user located in the c...
Gary Illyes Jan 23, 2017
★★★ Should You Really Resubmit Already Indexed URLs in Search Console Regularly?
John Mueller indicated in a hangout that it's not necessary to resubmit via Search Console a URL that is already indexed by Google. Well, obviously... :). This was in response to a question from a web...
John Mueller Jan 16, 2017
★★★ Should You Modify Your Canonical Tags When Switching to Mobile First Index?
As long as Mobile First indexing is being tested by Google, there is no reason to change the "canonical" tags if you have a dedicated mobile site whose pages point to their desktop equivalents. John M...
John Mueller Jan 16, 2017
★★★ Do errors in my XML Sitemap actually penalize the indexing of my other pages?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that the fact that certain URLs are erroneous or return errors when reading an XML Sitemap file does not affect the reading and processing of other URLs (as on Bing f...
John Mueller Jan 16, 2017
★★★ How Does Google Warn Webmasters About Mobile First Index Risks?
John Mueller indicated in a hangout that Google will send messages via Search Console to webmasters who own sites that could be impacted in one way or another (and especially negatively, for example f...
John Mueller Jan 16, 2017
★★ Can Wix Websites Actually Rank Well on Google?
John Mueller also indicated on a webmaster forum that websites built with the Wix platform do not pose major SEO problems, contrary to their long-standing negative reputation: "a website is a website ...
John Mueller Jan 09, 2017
Why Doesn't Google Index Every Page on Your Website?
John Mueller stated in a hangout that it's normal for Google not to index all pages of a website or XML Sitemap. However, he didn't explain why certain pages are left out :(......
John Mueller Jan 09, 2017
★★★ Does Google Only Penalize Mobile Interstitials Coming From Search Results?
Regarding the interstitial penalty that will be applied starting tomorrow, John Mueller indicated on Twitter that this penalty would only apply to sites that display an interstitial when the mobile us...
John Mueller Jan 09, 2017
★★★ How Can You Ask Google to Speed Up Your Site's Crawl in an Emergency?
John Mueller indicated in a forum that there is a procedure, through an appropriate form, that allows you to ask Google's "crawl" team to perform a specific crawl of your site or ask a question about ...
John Mueller Jan 02, 2017
★★★ Should You Use Google's URL Removal Tool During a Site Migration?
The end of the year was, it seems, prolific in somewhat bizarre questions from webmasters, as one user asked on a forum whether the URL removal option in Search Console could help during a site migrat...
John Mueller Jan 02, 2017
★★★ Should You Really Optimize Your Mobile and Desktop Sites Differently in 2017?
John Mueller indicated that it was important in 2017 to ensure that mobile site optimization was as good as desktop site optimization. This was in the context of the Mobile First index launch, logical...
John Mueller Jan 02, 2017
★★★ Does Google Really Limit How Much Traffic It Sends to Your Site?
John Mueller indicated on a forum that Google does not limit the traffic sent to a website. In other words, it doesn't stop displaying a link in its search results if it believes the traffic generated...
John Mueller Jan 02, 2017
★★★ Should You Already Be Optimizing Your Site for Google's Mobile First Index?
Gary Illyes reminded (with a Japanese Googler) on Twitter that the "Mobile First" index was not yet live. Let's remember that nothing will really happen before - at least - the second quarter of 2017 ...
Gary Illyes Jan 02, 2017
★★★ How Much Longer Until Search Console Offers a Full Year of Historical Data?
John Mueller indicated in a hangout that the engineering team working on Search Console features has been working for a long time on providing a full year of data history instead of the current 90 day...
John Mueller Dec 26, 2016
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