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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★★★ Does Using Nofollow to Sculpt PageRank Still Work in 2024?
During a Twitter exchange, John Mueller stated that attempting to sculpt your PageRank by relying on the nofollow attribute of your links was an "SEO myth" and above all a genuine waste of time. Furth...
John Mueller Mar 14, 2023
★★★ Is infinite scroll killing your e-commerce indexation on Google?
Infinite scroll creates difficulties for search engines because they must simulate scrolling (via viewport expansion). This is not efficient and can prevent content indexation. It is strongly recommen...
John Mueller Mar 09, 2023
★★ Should You Stop Chasing Backlinks to Rank in 2024?
During his presentation at PubCon, Gary Illuyes also stated that links were not as important as SEOs believe. At least, they have lost weight over the past several years and will continue to lose weig...
Google Mar 06, 2023
★★★ Should You Really Disavow Your Backlinks or Are You Sabotaging Your SEO?
Finally, still during his Q&A session, Gary Illyes expressed some frustration regarding the abusive use of the link disavow tool, originally designed to protect sites from toxic links. He added that t...
Gary Illyes Mar 06, 2023
★★ Should You Use Noindex and Nofollow on Redirecting URLs?
A few days ago, William Sears asked Gary Illyes the following question: "Will the noindex and nofollow directives on a redirecting URL be respected or ignored?" He then specified that these directives...
Gary Illyes Feb 28, 2023
★★ Are Meta Refresh Redirects Destroying Your SEO Migration Strategy?
Meta refresh redirects are not recommended for site migrations because they can result in PageRank loss. JavaScript redirects may function but are not ideal....
John Mueller Feb 23, 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
★★★ Should You Really Always Use Absolute URLs in Your Canonical Tags?
Gary Illyes explained on LinkedIn that "canonical" tags on a website should contain absolute addresses (https://www..com/20230203-51450-quand-les-quality-raters-de-google-manifestent-pour-etre-mieux-p...
Gary Illyes Feb 06, 2023
★★★ Could Your CDN and Firewall Be Blocking Googlebot Without You Knowing?
Gary Illyes explained on LinkedIn that the two obstacles most frequently encountered by Googlebot when crawling a site were CDNs and Firewalls that are more or less properly configured. And he advises...
Gary Illyes Feb 06, 2023
★★★ Is your JavaScript really being rendered by Google? Here's how to verify it with the honeypot method.
To verify whether Google is correctly rendering your JavaScript, create links accessible only via JavaScript that point to unique URLs, then analyze your server logs to confirm that Googlebot accesses...
Martin Splitt Feb 01, 2023
★★★ Is your JavaScript slowing down how fast Google discovers your pages?
In comparative experiments, the discovery and crawling of internal links are significantly faster on HTML-based sites than on sites where links are injected dynamically via JavaScript....
Martin Splitt Feb 01, 2023
★★★ Should you really fix your technical SEO before investing heavily in content and backlinks?
Before investing heavily in backlinks or content, it's crucial to ensure that the technical foundation of your website is correct. A technically flawed site will not fully benefit from content or link...
Martin Splitt Feb 01, 2023
★★★ Does disavowing toxic backlinks really help you recover your lost rankings after a penalty?
Disavowing spammed links you created can help algorithms trust your site again, but it will not reposition your site as it was before. You need to work to rebuild your reputation from the ground up....
John Mueller Jan 31, 2023
★★ What happens when your hreflang links fail to validate completely?
Hreflang clusters are formed with validated links. If an hreflang link cannot be validated, it will not appear in the cluster, but the cluster will be created with the other valid links. Pages marked ...
John Mueller Jan 31, 2023
★★★ Should you really waste time cleaning up spammy backlinks from your link profile?
Google's systems are becoming better at identifying spammed links automatically. It's not necessary to prioritize their cleanup unless you receive a manual action. The disavow tool can be used if nece...
John Mueller Jan 31, 2023
★★★ Why does Google refuse to index dynamic multilingual content on a single URL?
To add a language to a site, you must create separate URLs for each language version. Automatically swapping content on the same URL doesn't work for search engines. You also need to create internal l...
John Mueller Jan 31, 2023
★★ Are 'Made by X' footer links really safe for your SEO?
Footer links like 'made by Squarespace' that come with the theme are not problematic. If you control the link, it is recommended to add nofollow and verify that the anchor text is reasonable....
John Mueller Jan 31, 2023
★★★ How Can XML Sitemaps Help You Manage Internal Duplicate Content?
Gary Illyes explained on LinkedIn that it's important, when a site has internal duplicate content, to indicate in the XML Sitemap the URL of canonical pages to help Google properly distinguish between...
Gary Illyes Jan 30, 2023
★★ Are strong product identifiers really the key to multi-merchant matching in Google Shopping?
The multi-merchant Shopping knowledge panel displays multiple sellers of the same product. This matching is more reliable if a strong product identifier is present on your product pages, allowing Goog...
Alan Kent Jan 17, 2023
★★ Should you really overestimate shipping fees to please Google Shopping?
As with prices, it may be necessary to simplify the shipping information provided to match what Google supports. When in doubt, it's safer to overestimate shipping costs to avoid surprising customers ...
Alan Kent Jan 17, 2023
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