What does Google say about SEO? /
This category compiles all official Google statements regarding links and their role in search engine optimization. Backlinks have always been a cornerstone of Google's ranking algorithm, though guidelines continue to evolve. Here you'll find Google's positions on link building strategies, acceptable practices versus manipulative techniques, proper use of nofollow and dofollow attributes, and official guidance on private blog networks (PBN) and guest blogging approaches. SEO practitioners will discover authoritative recommendations on anchor text optimization, toxic link management through the disavow tool, and the significance of internal linking for site architecture. Google regularly communicates about backlink quality, emphasizing relevance and natural link profiles over sheer volume. Understanding these official declarations is crucial for developing compliant netlinking strategies, avoiding algorithmic or manual penalties, and effectively optimizing PageRank flow throughout your website. This documentation helps search marketers separate myths from facts regarding outbound links impact, various link types, and acquisition techniques endorsed by the search engine. Whether you're addressing linkspam concerns or building sustainable link equity, these official statements provide the authoritative foundation for modern link-based SEO strategies.
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★★★ Why does Google sometimes show the mobile version on desktop, and how can you prevent it?
If the mobile and desktop versions of a site are not properly linked, it is possible that Google displays the mobile version on a desktop, which is not ideal for the user. Use 'link rel="alternate"' a...
John Mueller Sep 24, 2015
★★★ Does noindex really pass PageRank through dofollow links?
If a page is set to noindex but the links are dofollow, Google will follow the links and pass PageRank, even though the page itself is not indexed....
John Mueller Sep 24, 2015
★★★ Do noindex pages really pass PageRank?
The 'noindex' tags allow Google not to index a page, but the links on that page can still pass PageRank, unless 'nofollow' is specifically used....
John Mueller Sep 24, 2015
★★★ Why does Google refuse to show the Sitelink search box on your site?
The Sitelink search box feature is not guaranteed for all sites, even if it is implemented correctly. Its presence depends on an algorithmic determination and signals assessing the relevance of the si...
Google Sep 22, 2015
★★★ Are links truly the cornerstone of Google rankings?
Links are important signals for ranking. Google uses links to calculate PageRank....
Google Sep 22, 2015
★★★ Can internal links in your content really penalize your e-commerce site?
Internal links in articles on an e-commerce site are not considered over-optimization, as long as they are used reasonably to provide useful and relevant information....
John Mueller Sep 11, 2015
★★ Do internal links opening in new tabs harm SEO?
Google doesn't care whether internal links open in a new tab or not, as long as these links are accessible and correctly parsed in the HTML code....
John Mueller Sep 10, 2015
★★★ Does submitting a Disavow file really trigger a new crawl of your backlinks?
When you submit a new Disavow file, only new changes are taken into account, and it does not trigger a new crawl of already disavowed domains....
John Mueller Sep 10, 2015
★★★ Should you really ban all paid links to avoid a Google penalty?
Buying paid links to influence rankings is a violation of Google’s guidelines and can lead to manual penalties that are difficult to remove. Don’t be misled by companies claiming it is necessary to im...
Google Sep 03, 2015
★★ Do footer links really harm your site's SEO?
Use the footer for useful navigation instead of artificially adding keyword lists. Google sees this as keyword stuffing, which can damage trust in the page....
John Mueller Aug 28, 2015
★★★ Do low-quality backlinks really harm your site’s ranking?
Low-quality backlinks pointing to your site are not a problem unless they are unnatural links placed intentionally to manipulate rankings. In this case, it's advisable to deal with them individually....
John Mueller Aug 28, 2015
★★★ Does massive nofollow on UGC and advertising sites really harm SEO?
Having many nofollow links on a site with user-generated or advertising content is acceptable and does not result in penalties. Social media is a prime example of this....
John Mueller Aug 28, 2015
★★★ How does blocking URLs in robots.txt dilute the PageRank of your backlinks?
The robots.txt file should not be used to address canonical issues, as links lose their PageRank when pointing to a URL blocked by robots.txt....
John Mueller Aug 25, 2015
★★★ App Indexing: Why is your integration failing silently?
Common issues with App Indexing integration include incorrectly formatted deep links, restrictions in the robots.txt file preventing content validation, and the use of native ARM code that is not supp...
Krzysztof Bielski Aug 25, 2015
★★★ Can Google really index your pages without crawling them?
Google can index a URL even if it has not crawled it, based on external links and anchor text, but without a content snippet....
John Mueller Aug 25, 2015
★★★ How can you effectively integrate App Indexing into your mobile SEO strategy?
To integrate your application with App Indexing, you must first support deep linking, annotate your websites with these links, verify your application with the site via the Google Play Developer Conso...
Krzysztof Bielski Aug 25, 2015
★★ Deep Links: Do you really need to choose between HTTP schema and custom schema?
Google recommends using either an HTTP schema or a custom schema for deep links. With the HTTP schema, already indexed URLs will be automatically validated. With a custom schema, each page must be ann...
Krzysztof Bielski Aug 25, 2015
★★★ Do nofollow links really hurt your SEO?
Nofollow links do not pass PageRank. Their presence does not mean a site is of poor quality and does not have a negative effect on ranking. They simply inform Google that a link should not be consider...
John Mueller Aug 14, 2015
★★★ Why does Googlebot stubbornly recrawl your 404 pages?
Pages returning a 404 code can be recrawled from time to time by Googlebot, especially if new links to these pages appear. This is done to check if they exist again, as they may return one day....
John Mueller Aug 14, 2015
★★★ Should you really use a 404 for pages with no search results?
John Mueller advises returning a 404 code for pages that contain no content, so that they are removed from Google's index once they are crawled again. If a 404 is not possible, a 'noindex, nofollow' t...
John Mueller Aug 14, 2015
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