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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★★ Can a domain with a problematic past secretly tank your SEO performance for an entire year?
If a site migrates to a domain with a problematic history, even with a correct migration, it can take up to a year for the situation to stabilize completely in search results....
John Mueller Feb 23, 2023
★★★ Should you really avoid combining domain migration and complete redesign at the same time?
It is strongly inadvisable to combine a domain migration with a complete site redesign and URL restructuring. The more simultaneous changes you make, the greater the risks of errors and difficulties i...
Gary Illyes Feb 23, 2023
★★ Does a properly executed SEO migration really guarantee zero traffic loss?
If a migration is executed correctly with appropriate redirections, there should theoretically be no traffic loss, as it is simply a matter of redirecting one URL to another....
Lizzi Sassman Feb 23, 2023
★★★ Can You Really Use a 301 Redirect Between Pages in Different Languages?
In a brief conversation posted on Mastodon, Gary Illyes from Google indicated that the 301 redirect (permanent redirect) was required when two URLs are almost identical. So far, nothing new. But where...
Gary Illyes Feb 20, 2023
★★★ Have EMD Domain Names Become a Liability for Your SEO?
John Mueller confesses: he's not really a fan of EMDs (Exact Match Domains) which, according to him, can potentially compromise a site's sustainability. In addition to appearing as a spammer in everyo...
John Mueller Feb 20, 2023
★★★ Should You Use Product or LocalBusiness Structured Data for a Service-Based Website?
John Mueller answered a question about which structured data to implement on a website offering services whose prices may vary depending on the quote. Google's emblematic figure recommends not using s...
John Mueller Feb 20, 2023
★★ Should you really delete problematic elements instead of fixing them for SEO?
A pragmatic SEO approach recommended by Google: if an element causes problems and isn't essential, the best solution may simply be to delete it. A missing element cannot cause problems....
Google Feb 16, 2023
★★★ Is Google Really Changing Its Rules or Just Repackaging Them With Search Essentials?
Google has renamed its Webmaster Guidelines to 'Search Essentials'. This change represents an official overhaul of the reference documentation for best practices in natural search optimization recomme...
Google Feb 16, 2023
★★ Should you really start your SEO audit with your browser and Search Console?
Google recommends using your web browser combined with Google Search Console tools to perform a first quick and efficient analysis of your website before diving deeper into other SEO aspects....
Google Feb 16, 2023
★★ Are you really unlocking the full power of Google Search Console data to boost your SEO performance?
Google is launching a third season of Search Console Training focused on data analysis. The series will cover different methods to export, analyze, and visualize Google Search Console data in order to...
Google Feb 14, 2023
★★★ Is it absolutely necessary to migrate to JSON-LD for your structured data?
Google has updated its online documentation regarding structured data markup and reminds us that the 3 available formats (JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa) are "equally accepted by Google, provided they a...
Google Feb 13, 2023
★★★ How does an HTML redesign actually impact your SEO rankings?
Gary Illyes explained on LinkedIn that when launching a website redesign that affects the HTML code of pages, this will certainly have an influence on the site's rankings in search engines afterwards....
Gary Illyes Feb 13, 2023
★★ Is it true that the order of tags in an XML sitemap doesn't matter to Google?
In an XML sitemap, the order of tags (URL, last updated date, frequency, priority) is not important. Only the URL is mandatory. If Search Console processes the sitemap correctly, there are no issues e...
Google Feb 09, 2023
★★ Could removing obsolete URLs from your sitemaps actually boost your SEO?
It is recommended to gradually remove obsolete URLs from XML sitemaps instead of keeping them indefinitely. This facilitates management and reduces the size of sitemap files over time....
Google Feb 09, 2023
★★ Do your JSON files really need to be indexed?
For resource files (like JSON files used by JavaScript), there's no need to make them directly accessible via URL if Google can read them through JavaScript. There's no need for specific configuration...
Google Feb 09, 2023
★★★ Is simplifying hreflang implementation the key to successful international SEO?
For the hreflang attribute on international websites, it is better to use a simplified implementation (such as en-US, fr-FR) rather than an overly granular notation that does not conform to the specif...
Google Feb 09, 2023
★★★ Why should you keep old URLs in the sitemap after a 301 redirect?
When changing URLs with 301 redirects, it is advisable to keep the old URLs in the XML sitemap until they disappear from Google's index. Once they are indexed under their new URL, they can be removed ...
Google Feb 09, 2023
★★★ Why does spoofing Googlebot's user agent in your browser actually accomplish nothing?
Changing the user agent to Googlebot in your browser may not work as expected because Googlebot also respects robots.txt (which browsers ignore) and some websites verify whether the request actually c...
Google Feb 07, 2023
★★★ Does Googlebot really ignore scrolling and user interactions?
Googlebot does not interact with pages, which includes not only clicking but also scrolling. JavaScript code that depends on scroll events will therefore not be executed by Googlebot during exploratio...
Google Feb 07, 2023
★★ Is your resource waterfall chart really exposing your hidden performance bottlenecks?
The waterfall diagram in the Network tab helps you understand the time spent at each stage: queueing, connection, server response time, and download. Long connection or download times may require exam...
Google Feb 07, 2023
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