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.
Quick SEO Quiz

Test your SEO knowledge in 5 questions

Less than a minute. Find out how much you really know about Google search.

🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Should You Really Disavow Nofollow Links Pointing to Your Site?
A user asked John Mueller on Twitter the following question: should you disavow a URL that links to your site with nofollow? John Mueller responded that nofollow links transmit no signals, so disavowi...
John Mueller Nov 21, 2017
★★★ Should You Worry About Google Removing Additional Links from the info: Syntax?
Google has confirmed that when you type a query like [info:www..com] into the search engine, the additional links that were placed under the result and provided information such as the cached version ...
Google Nov 13, 2017
★★★ Does a Direct Link to an Image Boost the SEO of the Page Containing It?
A user asked John Mueller whether a link pointing directly to an image (to a file like http://www.site.com/image/image-name.jpg for example) gave more SEO weight to the page containing that image. The...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2017
★★★ Do JavaScript Links Really Pass as Much PageRank as HTML Links?
John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that the way a link is designed and presented on a web page doesn't matter: HTML or JavaScript, in particular. If Google can read it, it will be treated like all ot...
John Mueller Nov 13, 2017
★★★ How Can You Optimize Internal Link Anchors to Supercharge Your SEO?
John Mueller reminded us in a hangout that using descriptive anchors (link texts) is not only important for external backlinks. This is also critical for internal linking (crosslinking). When creating...
John Mueller Nov 06, 2017
★★★ Should You Remove rel="shortlink" Tags from Your Website?
Jon Mueller indicated on Twitter that the search engine ignored tags like "rel=shortlink" such as <link rel = "shortlink" href = "/node/2" />......
Google Oct 16, 2017
★★ Has Penguin Been Running on Autopilot for a Year – Should SEOs Still Worry About It?
Still at the Brighton SEO conference, Gary Illyes indicated that since its real-time launch a year ago, Penguin had initially undergone a few adjustments but that it had been running on its own for a ...
Gary Illyes Oct 02, 2017
★★★ Is There Really a Top 3 of Google Ranking Criteria to Prioritize in SEO?
Two years ago, a Googler said that Google's algorithm primarily used 3 essential criteria: content, links, and RankBrain. Since then, John Mueller and Gary Illyes have repeatedly indicated that this r...
John Mueller Oct 02, 2017
★★★ Can Adding a Chatbot Actually Improve Your Website's SEO Rankings?
John Mueller explained during the same hangout that adding a chatbot (an automated tool that responds to visitors' questions in real-time) does not improve a site's or web page's rankings on Google....
John Mueller Sep 25, 2017
★★ Does Google Really Use Disavow Files to Identify Spammy Websites?
Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that the disavow file is solely used by Google to ignore certain links (those designated by the file) but that it does not use this data for other purposes, such as de...
Gary Illyes Sep 25, 2017
★★ Does Noindexing 50% of Your Pages Actually Hurt Your SEO Rankings?
A Googler (Aaseesh Marina) indicated on a forum that noindexing a large portion of a site's pages (for example 50%) had no negative impact on the other pages that were indexed....
Google Sep 11, 2017
★★ Do Large Sites with More Pages Rank Better on Google?
John Mueller explained on Twitter that Google does not rank large sites (those with many pages) better "by default" compared to small sites......
John Mueller Sep 11, 2017
★★★ Does the Absence of Google's "Cached" Link Indicate Low-Quality Content?
John Mueller explained on Twitter that the fact that the "Cached" link does not appear in the SERPs for a page is not synonymous with low-quality content for the search engine. This may mean that the ...
John Mueller Sep 11, 2017
★★★ Should You Really Remove All Hash (#) Links to Boost Your SEO?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that Google completely ignores links like <a href="#"> (often used, for example, to open pop-up windows) since they lead "nowhere" according to John......
John Mueller Sep 04, 2017
★★★ Does Googlebot Always Start Crawling from a Website's Homepage?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that Googlebot generally crawls a site's homepage first, simply because it's the first page it finds. But that it's not mandatory....
John Mueller Aug 28, 2017
★★★ Do Internal and External Links Really Carry Different Weight for Google Rankings?
When asked "Are there differences in how Google treats internal versus external links?", John Mueller responded: "definitely"....
John Mueller Aug 21, 2017
★★ Why Aren't Your Rich Snippets Showing Up in Google Despite Perfect Markup?
John Mueller indicated that there could be 3 reasons why rich snippets (or rich cards) don't appear in the SERPs for a site: technically incorrect code, an issue with official guidelines not being fol...
John Mueller Aug 21, 2017
Does disavowing poor-quality backlinks really carry a negative impact?
Gary Illyes indicated on Twitter that a disavowed site, therefore designated as providing low-quality links, was not negatively impacted subsequently by Google's algorithm. The links it provides are s...
Gary Illyes Aug 14, 2017
Are PBNs Really Detected and Penalized by Google?
John Mueller indicated in a hangout that Google's algorithms detect PBNs without too much difficulty and, for those that slip under the radar, the "webspam team" loves diving into them......
John Mueller Aug 14, 2017
Do Google's Quality Raters Really Influence Your Site's Rankings?
John Mueller indicated in a hangout that quality raters were there primarily to evaluate and even help correct Google's algorithms, but that their purpose was not to assess the sites appearing in sear...
John Mueller Aug 07, 2017
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.