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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★★★ 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
★★★ Should You Really Disavow Spammy and Toxic Backlinks Pointing to Your Site?
On Reddit, a site owner expressed concern after noticing hundreds of thousands of backlinks from AI-generated blog articles pointing to their site. In response, John Mueller stated that these links co...
John Mueller Jan 16, 2024
★★★ Should You Really Worry About Hacked Pages That Stay Indexed for Months?
Following an attack that resulted in the creation of thousands of pages in Japanese and Chinese, a hacking technique known as the "Japanese keyword hack," a user asked for help on Reddit. After provid...
John Mueller Jan 16, 2024
★★ Should You Really Stop Focusing on Links in SEO?
On Reddit, John Mueller responded to a question from a user who was wondering why a link, which he considered important, wasn't displayed in any tracking tool and he wasn't seeing any increase in Doma...
John Mueller Jan 09, 2024
★★★ Should You Drop the prerender-status-code Tag to Avoid Soft-404s on Your Site?
In the December 2023 SEO Office Hours, Martin Splitt explained that Googlebot ignores the Prerender-Status-Code meta tag, stating: "I assume this comes from a single-page application that is rendered ...
Martin Splitt Jan 02, 2024
★★★ Should You Worry About Duplicate Content Between an HTML Page and Its PDF Version?
In a recent video published on YouTube, John Mueller explains that there is no problem with content being published in both HTML and PDF formats, noting that both types of pages can be displayed indep...
John Mueller Dec 19, 2023
★★★ Does Google really penalize paid link purchases, or is it just a myth?
Nothing has changed regarding paid links in a very long time. You need to consult Google's anti-spam policies, particularly the section on link spam. Buying links remains a violation of guidelines....
Google Dec 18, 2023
★★★ Does Googlebot really ignore the meta prerender-status-code 404 tag in JavaScript applications?
Googlebot currently ignores the 'prerender-status-code content 404' meta tag. To avoid soft 404s in client-side rendered single-page applications, use a meta robots noindex tag instead or redirect to ...
Martin Splitt Dec 18, 2023
★★★ Should you still report bad backlinks to Google in 2024?
Bad link reports submitted to Google are used to improve algorithms overall. Google does not take individual actions on each report. This information is available on Google's official blog....
Gary Illyes Dec 18, 2023
★★★ Is blocking crawl via robots.txt really the miracle solution against toxic links?
To prevent Googlebot from crawling URLs you don't want explored, use the robots.txt file to block them. If Googlebot doesn't make a request to these URLs, it won't see the content or the URLs it might...
Martin Splitt Dec 18, 2023
★★★ Why do internal link metrics fluctuate in Search Console?
The number of internal links shown in Search Console can differ from the actual number of links on the site. Tools use different indicators and measurement methods, which explains these discrepancies....
Google Dec 14, 2023
★★ Should you really include a link to your website in every PDF you publish?
For PDF files, it is recommended to include a link to your website within the PDF document so that users can easily find their way back to your site....
John Mueller Dec 12, 2023
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