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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★★★ Do 301 redirects really transfer 100% of PageRank and SEO signals?
When redirecting one URL to another, Google strives to transfer as many signals as possible, including backlinks, to the new URL. However, some signals can remain attached to the old URL....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★ Should you really disavow all the spammy links pointing to your site?
Sites that generate spammy or comment links are generally ignored by Google. Only the links you specifically suspect of causing harm require disavowing....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★★ Does Google really keep a page indexed after a 500 or 404 error?
Google is resilient to 500 and 404 errors. If the page is important, Google may retain its indexed status until the page becomes accessible again....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★★ Is using the disavow tool still effective against negative SEO attacks?
Google generally recognizes low-quality links from BlackHat tools and tends to ignore them. Using the disavow file remains a reasonable precaution but should not be the sole method of protection....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★ Are Google My Business and traditional SEO really two separate worlds?
Google My Business and Google Search are separate. The ranking factors for Google My Business can be very different from those of web search and are not influenced by customer recommendations....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★★ Should you re-upload your disavow file after a domain migration?
During a domain migration, it is crucial to re-upload the disavow file; otherwise, disavowed links could be included in Google's link graph when they are recrawled....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★★ Can similar domain names really harm your SEO?
Sites with similar domain names have no algorithmic overlap that would affect your domain, even if they link to you....
John Mueller Jul 20, 2018
★★★ Do JavaScript Links Actually Pass PageRank and SEO Value?
A user asked Google whether links placed in code using <div href> + JavaScript were recognized by the search engine. John Mueller indicated that while these links could be used to identify certain URL...
John Mueller Jul 16, 2018
★★★ Are Links in Press Releases Still Effective for SEO?
Interesting remark from John Mueller in a hangout: when Google detects that a web page is republishing a press release, most of the links it contains are ignored by the search engine....
John Mueller Jul 02, 2018
★★★ Do press releases still hold value in SEO?
Google typically ignores links from press releases because they are placed by the companies themselves. While these links are not harmful, using them as a primary link-building strategy is not recomme...
John Mueller Jun 29, 2018
★★★ Does Google really treat all dynamically generated links in JavaScript the same way?
Google can follow links generated via JavaScript, but it is recommended that JavaScript does not contradict static HTML content, especially for directives like rel='nofollow'....
John Mueller Jun 29, 2018
★★★ How can a new e-commerce site stand out to get indexed and ranked by Google?
For a newly created e-commerce site to compete with existing alternatives, it is crucial that it stands out clearly and significantly, for example, through customer reviews or other unique characteris...
John Mueller Jun 29, 2018
★★★ Why does Google seem to index the wrong version of your URLs?
Ambiguous signals sent by a site can lead Google to index the wrong version of a URL. Clarify the signals (redirects, canonicals, internal links) to indicate your preference....
John Mueller Jun 29, 2018
★★★ Does Google Actually Recognize Data-href Attributes for SEO?
John Mueller indicated on Twitter that link tags with a "data-href" attribute (<a data-ref="URL">) are not recognized as links (not followed, no PageRank transmission). Only tags with an "href" attrib...
John Mueller Jun 25, 2018
★★★ Do Forum Backlinks Still Work for SEO?
John Mueller explained in a Reddit discussion that including links (backlinks) in forum posts worked "very badly" for SEO....
John Mueller Jun 18, 2018
★★★ Is it really necessary to balance internal and external links for SEO?
There is no fixed ratio between internal and external links. A good interlinking structure for crawling is crucial, but external links cannot be controlled....
John Mueller Jun 15, 2018
★★★ How can you redirect a restructured page into multiple new URLs without losing its PageRank?
When reorganizing content into several new pages, it is advisable to use a 301 redirect from the old page to the new main page in order to retain the benefits of existing links....
Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018
★★★ Should you really remove all internal search results pages from indexing?
Internal search results pages are generally best excluded from indexing as they can create infinite links with varying quality content, which could harm the overall image of the site....
Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018
★★★ Do plain text links really transmit PageRank?
Google treats plain text links, where a URL is mentioned within the text, differently than normal HTML links. They are used solely for discovering new pages, but they do not pass PageRank or signals....
Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018
★★★ Does a noindex tag ultimately kill your links for good?
Noindex-marked pages are temporarily kept in the index but may be removed if they remain noindex for too long. The links from these pages are then ignored....
Johannes Mueller Jun 14, 2018
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