What does Google say about SEO? /
Google Search Console stands as the essential tool for SEO professionals seeking to optimize their website's organic visibility. This free platform delivers invaluable data on organic performance, indexation status, technical errors, and user behavior in search results. Official Google statements regarding Search Console are critical for properly interpreting coverage reports, performance data, URL inspection tools, and sitemap management features. SEO practitioners rely on these official positions to diagnose indexation issues, identify optimization opportunities, and monitor organic traffic evolution. Mastering functionalities like Core Web Vitals reports, structured data validation, internal and external link analysis, and page experience signals has become essential for modern SEO strategies. Understanding official recommendations helps avoid metric misinterpretation, optimize crawl budget efficiently, and make strategic decisions based on reliable data to sustainably improve SERP rankings. Whether troubleshooting mobile usability issues, monitoring manual actions, or analyzing search queries that drive traffic, Search Console insights combined with Google's official guidance provide the foundation for data-driven SEO decision-making and continuous performance improvement in an ever-evolving search landscape.
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★★★ Should you really give up national domains for a generic .com in international SEO?
Generic domains (like .com) can be geographically targeted in Search Console, which is not possible with country-specific domains (like .de, for example). To reach multiple countries, it is better to ...
John Mueller Feb 21, 2020
★★★ Can you really remove links from search results without affecting the index?
The tool to suggest outdated links in the new Search Console allows you to temporarily remove pages from search results, but not from the index at all. For a permanent removal, you must use a 404 erro...
John Mueller Feb 21, 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
★★★ 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
★★★ Do you really need to split your sitemaps to manage a high-volume URL site?
For websites with a large number of dynamic URLs, use segmented sitemaps to manage recent and stable content so that you don't submit the entire sitemap with every addition. An RSS feed can also be ef...
John Mueller Feb 18, 2020
★★ Why do Search Console and API data differ (and should you be worried)?
Data aggregations in Search Console may slightly differ from the API results due to the distinct aggregation methods used, particularly with privacy filtering....
John Mueller Feb 18, 2020
★★★ How often should you really submit your new URLs via sitemap to Google?
It is recommended to submit new URLs to Google once a minute or every few minutes to avoid bombarding Google, while keeping URL reports reasonably up to date....
John Mueller Feb 18, 2020
★★★ Is Search Console really enough to drive your SEO?
Google recommends using Search Console, a free tool, to manage your website and monitor its performance. It sends notifications in case of issues, making it easier to focus on your business....
Google Feb 12, 2020
★★★ Should You Really Force Your Pages to Index Through Search Console?
John Mueller indicated, again on Twitter, that if you need to use Search Console ("URL Inspection" section) to manually index your website's pages, it means you have a serious problem with the quality...
John Mueller Feb 10, 2020
★★★ Should you really include the lastmod attribute in your XML sitemaps?
In sitemap files, the lastmod attribute is used by Google to determine which pages have been significantly modified and need to be revised. Do not use today's date for all pages, so real changes can b...
John Mueller Feb 07, 2020
★★★ Can structured data errors really cost you your rich snippets?
Errors in structured data can disqualify your results from appearing as rich results. Therefore, it is essential to monitor and correct these errors via the Search Console to maintain or improve the v...
Google Feb 05, 2020
★★★ How can you effectively measure the performance of your rich results in the Search Console?
To track the performance of your rich results, use the Google Search Console's performance report by filtering the results specifically for rich results, allowing you to see traffic by queries, pages,...
Google Feb 05, 2020
★★★ Are unparseable structured data really costing you traffic?
Google generates a report for unparseable structured data that indicates issues that could cost you opportunities for rich results. It is recommended to fix these errors to fully benefit from structur...
Google Feb 05, 2020
★★★ Why does Google index non-canonical pages even when the rel=canonical markup is correct?
Even with correct rel=canonical markup, Google can sometimes index non-canonical pages due to conflicting signals like internal links or non-compliant sitemap files....
John Mueller Jan 31, 2020
★★★ Is site speed really a negligible ranking factor in Google?
Site speed is a ranking factor, but it is generally not a high priority and its influence may be delayed compared to other factors....
John Mueller Jan 31, 2020
★★★ Is it true that Google is permanently phasing out data-vocabulary.org markup for breadcrumbs?
Google will stop supporting data-vocabulary.org markup starting April 6, 2020. Sites using this markup will receive warnings in Google Search Console encouraging them to switch to schema.org markup, p...
John Mueller Jan 30, 2020
★★★ What changes has Google made to Discover data in Search Console?
Google has altered the Discover report in Search Console to provide more recent data, similar to that of the search performance report. This allows for a more precise representation of the content tha...
John Mueller Jan 30, 2020
★★★ Should you really migrate from data-vocabulary.org to schema.org to avoid penalties?
Google has decided to cease support for structured data using data-vocabulary.org starting April 6, 2020. Search Console will issue warnings for pages using this schema, urging sites to transition to ...
John Mueller Jan 30, 2020
★★★ Why do indexing numbers vary between Search Console and mobile reports?
It is normal for total indexing reports and mobile usability reports to show differences, as the latter focuses on a specific part of the total indexed....
John Mueller Jan 24, 2020
★★★ Does the URL Inspection Tool really uncover all the indexing issues on your pages?
The URL Inspection Tool reveals if a URL can appear in Google search results, any potential issues related to structured data, and provides information on how the page was discovered. It also indicate...
Google Jan 23, 2020
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