What does Google say about SEO? /
The Mobile category consolidates all official Google statements regarding website optimization for mobile devices and their impact on organic search performance. Since the implementation of mobile-first indexing, Google systematically prioritizes the mobile version of websites for indexing and ranking in search results. This section compiles essential guidance on responsive design, smartphone loading speed optimization, viewport configuration, and technologies like AMP. SEO practitioners will find Google's official positions on major updates such as Mobilegeddon, which transformed ranking criteria by favoring mobile-friendly sites. Understanding these guidelines has become imperative: with over 60% of global web traffic originating from mobile devices, mobile user experience directly determines organic visibility. Google's declarations on adaptive design, common responsive implementation errors, and mobile-specific Core Web Vitals criteria constitute strategic resources for any SEO professional aiming to optimize SERP performance and deliver an exemplary mobile experience. This category serves as a comprehensive reference for navigating Google's evolving mobile requirements and ensuring websites meet the search engine's standards for smartphone accessibility, usability, and technical excellence.
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★★★ Do you really need 1200px images to get featured in Google Discover?
Google Discover demands high-quality images that are at least 1200 pixels wide. A max-image-preview large meta tag can be used to allow Google to display large images, even without AMP....
John Mueller Mar 31, 2020
★★★ Is hidden content in mobile-first really taken into account by Google for indexing?
Hidden content behind tabs on mobile is not devalued; Google takes into account all content present in the HTML during indexing in the mobile-first context....
John Mueller Mar 31, 2020
★★★ How Does Google Actually Analyze Your Site's Infinite Scroll?
The same Martin Splitt explained during a developers' hangout that any infinite scroll systems potentially implemented on a website should be tested "with Google tools" (presumably the mobile-friendly...
Martin Splitt Mar 30, 2020
★★★ Does Using AMP Really Help You Rank Better on Google?
Martin Splitt indicated on Twitter that content available in AMP format was not given more prominence on Google than non-AMP content. In short, the AMP format is not a relevance criterion for the sear...
Martin Splitt Mar 30, 2020
★★★ Is it true that your traffic data can become unreadable overnight with Google Search Console and mobile-first?
With mobile-first indexing, the data in Google Search Console will relate to the mobile version of the site, which can be confusing if you are using mobile subdomains....
John Mueller Mar 26, 2020
★★★ Is responsive design truly more effective than mobile subdomains for mobile-first indexing?
With the shift to mobile-first indexing, Google prioritizes the content of the mobile versions of websites for the index. It is recommended to simplify the site structure by using a responsive design ...
John Mueller Mar 26, 2020
★★★ Should you really abandon mobile subdomains for mobile-first indexing?
Even with a mobile subdomain, it can significantly affect site management complexity, particularly in Search Console. It's also recommended to have a responsive design to simplify the process, althoug...
John Mueller Mar 26, 2020
★★★ Does lazy loading really undermine the indexing of your images?
To ensure the indexing of images with lazy loading, they must be visible in the rendered HTML after JavaScript has loaded the sources. Using the 'loading' attribute in HTML can be helpful, or checking...
Martin Splitt Mar 26, 2020
★★★ Can Google still index mobile-first even with a canonical pointing from mobile to desktop?
When a mobile page has a canonical annotation pointing to its desktop version, Google may choose to index it mobile-first if the content is relevant and identical. It is advised to move to a responsiv...
John Mueller Mar 26, 2020
★★★ Should you still optimize your AMP pages with mobile-first indexing?
With the transition to mobile-first indexing, you don’t need to put additional effort into your AMP pages. They should already align with what users see on your regular pages....
John Mueller Mar 17, 2020
★★★ Should you really ditch m-dot sites for responsive design?
It is recommended to switch to responsive design rather than maintaining separate m-dot sites, even though we still support the latter with mobile-first indexing....
John Mueller Mar 06, 2020
★★★ Is Word Count Really a Ranking Factor for SEO on Google?
John Mueller explained on Twitter that publishing content with the same word count as content ranking #1 on Google is not a criterion that will guarantee good rankings. Generally speaking, the word co...
John Mueller Feb 24, 2020
★★ Why does the mobile usability report only cover a sample of your pages?
The mobile usability report in Search Console is based on a sample of pages rather than all the indexed pages of your site....
John Mueller Feb 21, 2020
★★★ Do AMP errors really block indexing on Google?
AMP pages with an error cannot appear in Google search results, unlike pages with warnings that remain indexed but may not feature in rich results or the Top Stories carousel....
Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020
★★ Is the AMP Test Tool enough to ensure your pages are indexed by Google?
The AMP Test Tool allows you to test a specific page or check a code snippet for issues. However, this tool tests the overall implementation of AMP without specific information regarding indexing by G...
Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020
★★★ How can you efficiently identify and fix AMP errors in Search Console?
When a site uses AMP, Google Search Console provides a report listing the detected AMP issues, helping to focus correction efforts on the most important tasks....
Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020
★★★ How does Google really validate AMP corrections after they've been made?
Once AMP errors are corrected, it's important to request Google to validate the corrections through the AMP issues page. Validation can take several days, and progress notifications are sent via email...
Daniel Waisberg Feb 20, 2020
★★ Are keyword-rich URLs really useless for SEO?
Keywords present in URLs play a very minor role in SEO. When the content of the page is indexed, these words have an insignificant role. URLs identified solely by IDs are equally valid, especially in ...
John Mueller Feb 07, 2020
★★★ Do you really need to duplicate breadcrumbs on the mobile version to stay indexed?
With the shift to mobile-first indexing, only the content and markup present on the mobile version are taken into account. Breadcrumbs that are only available on the desktop version will no longer be ...
John Mueller Jan 31, 2020
★★★ Could linking to AMP cache URLs jeopardize your SEO?
Directly linking to AMP cache URLs is not advisable because these URLs can change and are often blocked by the robots.txt file, which can impact SEO....
John Mueller Jan 31, 2020
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