What does Google say about SEO? /
This category compiles all official Google statements regarding JavaScript and technical aspects of search engine optimization. Modern JavaScript frameworks (React, Angular, Vue.js) and web application architectures (SPA, SSR, CSR) present critical challenges for crawling and indexing. Google's guidance on JavaScript rendering, dynamic DOM manipulation, AJAX implementation, and API calls is essential for ensuring client-side content visibility. SEO professionals will find authoritative positions on implementation best practices, differences between server-side and client-side rendering, and recommendations for optimizing load times while guaranteeing content accessibility to search crawlers. Understanding data formats (JSON, XML) and their SEO implications completes this vital resource. These official declarations help prevent common technical implementation mistakes that can severely impact the search performance of modern websites and JavaScript-powered applications. Access to Google's verified positions on these technical matters enables practitioners to make informed architectural decisions and implement JavaScript solutions that maintain strong organic search visibility while delivering enhanced user experiences.
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★★★ Should you really worry about 404 errors in Search Console?
URLs that return a 404 status are normal, and Google gradually removes them from the index. Having 404 errors in Search Console is not problematic, and they will disappear over time....
John Mueller Sep 13, 2018
★★★ How does Google actually handle backlinks after a domain change?
When a domain is redirected to a new one, links pointing to the original domain are treated as pointing to the new one. The links should be checked in Search Console to see their status in the link re...
John Mueller Sep 13, 2018
★★★ Does the white space above the fold really hurt organic search rankings?
White space at the top of the page is not a problem for SEO. The issue arises if all the content above the fold consists of ads, as this can disrupt the user experience by hiding the sought-after cont...
John Mueller Sep 13, 2018
★★★ Can JavaScript Actually Prevent Your Site from Being Indexed in Mobile First?
John Mueller explained during a hangout that sites using a lot of JavaScript might not be transitioned to the Mobile First index....
John Mueller Sep 10, 2018
★★ Do White Spaces on Web Pages Really Hurt Your SEO Rankings?
John Mueller explained during a hangout that white spaces (empty areas) on a web page, which may push textual content further down, do not pose specific SEO problems. Only ads that hinder content read...
John Mueller Sep 10, 2018
★★★ Does Google Really Ignore Links from .edu Domains?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that, "because of the misconception that .edu sites are better taken into account by Google," the search engine was ignoring tons of links coming from pages on this t...
John Mueller Sep 10, 2018
★★★ What really happens when a Google manual action expires without any fixes?
John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that manual actions do indeed expire at some point. However, if nothing has been done to fix the problem in the meantime, it could be picked up by a new part of the...
John Mueller Sep 10, 2018
★★★ Should You Really Exclude All Redirected URLs from Your XML Sitemap?
John Mueller has said it repeatedly in the past: when you create your XML Sitemap files, don't include any redirected URLs (301 or otherwise). He reiterated this on Twitter recently. Google uses this ...
John Mueller Sep 03, 2018
★★★ Can You Use the Same Image Multiple Times on Your Site Without an SEO Penalty?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that an image could appear identically (under the same filename or not) on the same site, or across several different sites, this posed no problem for Google, and tha...
John Mueller Aug 27, 2018
★★★ How can you successfully execute a domain migration without losing your organic traffic?
It is crucial to carry out the redirects in a domain migration consistently and thoroughly to avoid prolonged traffic losses....
John Mueller Aug 24, 2018
★★★ How can altering canonical and robots tags with JavaScript harm your SEO?
Modifying tags such as canonical or meta robots with JavaScript can cause conflicting signals and should be avoided to ensure clarity....
John Mueller Aug 24, 2018
★★ Are recycled expired domains really facing manual penalties from Google?
Expired domains that reuse poor content may be subject to manual actions from the webspam team to counter negative impact....
John Mueller Aug 24, 2018
★★★ Why does redirecting all your pages to the homepage during migration ruin your SEO?
During migrations, avoid directing all pages to the homepage. 301 redirects must be page-specific to preserve SEO equity....
John Mueller Aug 24, 2018
★★ Should you really remove empty sitemaps from your site?
Submitting sitemap files without URLs is not problematic but not optimal. It is advisable to remove these sitemaps during a code review....
John Mueller Aug 24, 2018
★★★ Should You Really Force Google to Crawl Faster During an HTTPS Migration?
Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that, in the case of an HTTPS migration, there was no reason to implement specific actions to obtain faster crawling from Google. The migration will be taken into acco...
Gary Illyes Aug 20, 2018
★★★ Does Google's URL Removal Tool Actually Delete Your Pages from the Index?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that the "Remove URLs" tool in Search Console only hides the URL from search results. It will therefore continue to be crawled, analyzed, and indexed until the 90th d...
John Mueller Aug 13, 2018
★★ Are EMD (Exact Match Domain) Names Really Useless for SEO?
John Mueller provided several pieces of information in a hangout regarding the presence of keywords in domain names: keyword domain names (EMD for Exact Match Domain) do not perform better, according ...
John Mueller Aug 06, 2018
★★ Can you really detect the hidden algorithmic penalties of an expired domain?
There is no way to know if a domain has inherited algorithmic issues; only manual actions can be checked on Search Console with read-only access....
John Mueller Jul 27, 2018
★★★ How can you uncover hidden SEO problems in a domain using Google Search Console?
If you're wondering whether a domain has inherent problems, use Search Console. You can also check for current manual actions, but not for past issues without write access....
John Mueller Jul 27, 2018
★★ Can scraping really devastate the SEO of a low-authority site?
High-quality sites are generally less affected by scraping as they possess greater authority. If your site is of low quality, it might be challenging to stand out from duplicated content....
John Mueller Jul 27, 2018
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