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 noindex follow really guarantee that Google will explore your internal links?
With noindex follow on pagination pages, two outcomes are possible: either Google sees the page and follows the links before removing it from the index, or the page is removed and nothing is used. The...
John Mueller Apr 18, 2024
★★ Does having duplicate burger menus in your DOM hurt your SEO rankings?
Having a hidden burger menu on mobile with the same links as the desktop menu, thus creating duplicate links in the DOM, results in no penalty from Google....
Gary Illyes Apr 18, 2024
★★★ Does Google Really Ignore URL Fragments with # for SEO Rankings?
URL fragments (everything after the # symbol) are ignored by Google for SEO purposes. A link to a specific text fragment functions like a normal link with no particular SEO effect....
John Mueller Apr 18, 2024
★★★ Should You Really Worry About Crawling and Indexing During Core Updates?
On LinkedIn, Gary Illyes provided some clarification about the independence of indexing systems from algorithm updates, particularly Core Updates. He states that indexing, canonicalization, and the va...
Gary Illyes Apr 16, 2024
★★ Should You Really Stop Focusing on External Links for SEO?
John Mueller advised against focusing excessively on external links, arguing that it could primarily prove to be a waste of time. He also explains that there is no objective method to count links on t...
John Mueller Apr 09, 2024
★★★ Should You Disavow Internal Footer Links to Improve Your SEO?
John Mueller from Google recommended not disavowing internal links located in footers. In a Reddit discussion thread, he emphasized that doing so could create problems in the future: "if you do that, ...
John Mueller Apr 09, 2024
★★★ Can an unsupported tag in <head> really break all your SEO metadata?
The <head> element contains metadata in the form of meta and link tags. If an unsupported tag is used in this section, Google and browsers automatically close the <head> element just before the unsupp...
Gary Illyes Apr 04, 2024
★★ Why Doesn't the Author Info Location Affect SEO Rankings?
When it comes to indicating the author of a piece of content, it's not about a technical element or the precise positioning of components on the page. What matters is the content itself and the unique...
Google Mar 28, 2024
★★ Does Googlebot really click through your pages like a real user would?
Googlebot does not navigate from page to page by clicking like a real user would. It loads each URL separately in a new browser context after extracting links from the HTML. Interaction metrics like I...
John Mueller Mar 28, 2024
★★★ Should you use the noindex directive in your robots.txt file?
On LinkedIn, John Mueller revealed that there had been internal discussions at Google about the possibility of supporting the noindex: directive in the robots.txt file. This option had been considered...
John Mueller Mar 26, 2024
★★★ Should You Still Worry About Toxic Backlinks in 2024?
On Reddit, John Mueller responded to a question about the impact of unwanted backlinks on a site's ranking. He advised his interlocutor not to worry excessively, as Google's systems are designed to ig...
John Mueller Mar 26, 2024
★★★ Are natural links really more important than sitemaps for URL discovery?
For discovery purposes, natural links are more important than a sitemap. A natural link not only indicates that a URL exists, but also signals that it's important to crawl it faster by providing conte...
Gary Illyes Mar 14, 2024
★★★ How does Googlebot actually crawl your web pages?
Googlebot is composed of three distinct systems: the fetcher that retrieves pages, a controller that merges links discovered in HTML with those from sitemaps, and a scheduler that orchestrates when an...
Gary Illyes Mar 14, 2024
★★★ Does linking from your homepage really accelerate the crawl of your new pages?
The homepage is almost always the most important page of a site for Google. Creating links from the homepage to new important pages tells Google that it should crawl these pages earlier....
Gary Illyes Mar 14, 2024
★★★ How does Google actually discover your new pages?
Google primarily discovers new pages by following links (URLs) from already-known pages to new pages. Most newly discovered URLs originate from other known pages that Google has previously crawled....
Gary Illyes Feb 22, 2024
★★★ Does Google really keep Search and Ads completely separate, or is this just PR?
Google applies a policy of honest results where Search and Ads are completely separated. No matter if you're a client or partner for other Google products, you must go through the same processes as a ...
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★★ Are PBNs really all classified as spam by Google, or is there room for interpretation?
Private Blog Networks (PBNs) are considered a spam technique by Google. The webspam team appreciates receiving reports on these networks to take action....
Aaseesh Marina Feb 21, 2024
★★★ Does Disavowing Toxic Links Actually Improve Your SEO Rankings?
On Reddit, John Mueller stated that simply disavowing toxic links listed in Semrush reports wouldn't be enough to recover your rankings in the SERPs. On numerous occasions, Google has advised against ...
John Mueller Feb 20, 2024
★★★ How can you optimize your crawl budget with unique content?
For large sites facing crawl budget issues, Google recommends consolidating duplicate content, using robots.txt to block the crawl of unwanted URLs, and refraining from creating links to URLs that Goo...
Google Feb 08, 2024
★★★ Should you really link your new pages from high-authority pages to accelerate indexing?
If new pages are important, create links to them from other important pages on your site. This internal linking strategy accelerates their discovery and indexing....
John Mueller Jan 23, 2024
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