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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★★★ Why doesn't Google index JavaScript files like web pages?
JavaScript files are generally not indexed as web pages. It is not recommended to use the URL inspection tool on JavaScript files; this tool should only be used for indexable web pages....
Google Feb 29, 2024
★★ Why do Lighthouse scores change with every SEO test?
Tools utilizing Lighthouse ideally show consistent results, but in reality, execution results can vary each time. Scores can fluctuate whether you are using PageSpeed Insights or Chrome DevTools....
Google Feb 29, 2024
★★★ Why are crawling and indexing considered separate processes in SEO?
Crawling and indexing are separate processes. For indexing, a page must be crawled and its quality checked. Resources are limited, making it difficult to reach an ideal state, even though product team...
Google Feb 29, 2024
★★★ Is it true that Google restricts site names by subdirectory?
Currently, it is not technically possible to define different site names by subdirectory. Google does not support individual site names for each directory of a domain....
Google Feb 29, 2024
★★★ Why Are 'Help' Subdomains Replacing Homepages in Google Results?
Google is currently investigating an issue affecting adult sites. According to observations shared by an in-house SEO, the 'help' subdomain appears to be ranking in place of the homepage in the SERPs....
John Mueller Feb 27, 2024
★★★ Is Using Google's Indexing API Putting Your Site at Risk of Being Flagged as Spam?
Between misuse of Google's Indexing API and spam, there's apparently only a small step that John Mueller is willing to take. On X, the famous Google employee clarified once again that this API is comm...
John Mueller Feb 27, 2024
★★ How Long Does It Really Take to Recover from Google's Helpful Content Update?
How much time does it take for a site negatively impacted by the Helpful Content Update to get back into Google's good graces? According to Danny Sullivan, you'd better be patient, as it can take seve...
Danny Sullivan Feb 27, 2024
★★ Should you really be automating your sitemap generation?
It is recommended to work with your website provider or developer to ensure your site automatically generates sitemap files, rather than creating them manually which is a source of errors....
Gary Illyes Feb 22, 2024
★★★ Do you really need an XML sitemap to get indexed by Google?
Sitemaps are a collection of URLs from a website's pages and constitute a valuable aid for Google to discover the site. The most popular format is XML. Sitemaps are absolutely not required but can def...
Gary Illyes Feb 22, 2024
★★★ Why does Googlebot ignore some of the URLs it discovers?
Googlebot does not crawl every URL it discovers. Some pages may be on sites that do not meet the required quality threshold to be indexed, while other URLs may be forbidden from crawling or inaccessib...
Gary Illyes Feb 22, 2024
★★ Is Google really missing pages from your site that should be indexed?
With trillions of URLs on the internet, some pages will never be discovered by Google....
Gary Illyes Feb 22, 2024
★★★ Does Google really struggle to see your JavaScript content without rendering?
Rendering transforms HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files into a visual representation of the page by executing JavaScript with a recent version of Chrome. Without rendering, Google would not see the conte...
Gary Illyes Feb 22, 2024
★★★ Does Google really keep Search and Ads completely separate, or is this just PR?
Google applies a policy of honest results where Search and Ads are completely separated. No matter if you're a client or partner for other Google products, you must go through the same processes as a ...
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★ Why do SEO priorities shift so dramatically depending on which market you're targeting?
SEO questions differ across markets and languages. For example, the Indonesian community asks more questions about sitemaps, while the Japanese community focuses on canonicalization and indexing probl...
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★ Why does Google discourage the use of LLMs for answering in its support forums?
Google asks users not to use LLMs to generate answers in support forums because it deteriorates the community experience. AI-generated responses don't provide added value compared to personalized resp...
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★ Does Google really monitor help forums to detect spam?
Google generally does not crawl help forums to identify spam websites. People who post questions about spam sites do not usually share their URL, and it wouldn't be a good source for the webspam team ...
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★ Where does Google really get all those spam reports from?
Google's webspam team gets spam reports from many different sources. Any user can submit a spam report if they believe a site violates the rules, not just through the forums....
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★ Should You Really Optimize for Users Rather Than for Google?
On X, Danny Sullivan emphasized that Google Search primarily wants what internet users want. In other words: he advises focusing on what can please users who land on a page rather than trying to satis...
Danny Sullivan Feb 20, 2024
★★★ Does Disavowing Toxic Links Actually Improve Your SEO Rankings?
On Reddit, John Mueller stated that simply disavowing toxic links listed in Semrush reports wouldn't be enough to recover your rankings in the SERPs. On numerous occasions, Google has advised against ...
John Mueller Feb 20, 2024
★★★ Should You Really Fix All 404 Errors Detected in Search Console?
John Mueller clarified that validating 404 error fixes in Search Console is primarily a tracking tool that allows publishers to check whether missing pages exist, especially if they were accidentally ...
John Mueller Feb 20, 2024
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