Gary Illyes

★★ Does update frequency really affect how often Google crawls your pages?

Two distinct signals drive crawl decisions: content quality (the most important) and page update frequency. Pages that rarely change, like legal notices, are crawled less frequently....

Sep 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Googlebot ignore your buttons and how can you work around this limitation?

Generally speaking, Googlebot does not click on buttons. Links must be accessible via standard HTML elements rather than requiring user interaction....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do you really need text on category pages to rank well in Google?

Don't create low-quality auto-generated text repeated across all your category pages. Add content that users will actually find useful, not content because you think Google requires it....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really worry about 404 errors generated by JSON and JavaScript in Google Search Console?

404 error URLs appearing in Google Search Console that seem to come from JSON or JavaScript code can be ignored, or you can add an HTTP noindex header for these URLs....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really prioritize meta descriptions when page content is thin?

Google's algorithms generally use your meta description when there isn't much content on the page itself, or when the meta description is more relevant to the user's search query than the actual page ...

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can infinite scroll really work for SEO when each section has its own unique URL?

Infinite scroll can work correctly for Googlebot if each virtual page section is also accessible and discoverable via a unique URL. Implementation is the key....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can PDFs hosted on Google Drive actually be indexed by Google search?

Google can index public PDF files hosted on Google Drive. It's simply another URL on a website, and the indexing delay can vary from a few seconds to never....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why is Google indexing your URLs even when robots.txt blocks them?

Google can index the URL alone (not the content) even if that URL is blocked by robots.txt. If that's problematic, allow the URL to be crawled and use a noindex rule in HTTP headers or a meta tag....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does your CMS really impact how Google ranks your website?

Google does not judge different parts of a website differently based on the content management system (CMS) behind them....

Sep 06, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does your domain extension really impact SEO rankings?

All generic top-level domain names (gTLDs) are treated equally by Google in search. There is no SEO advantage to choosing .com over .xyz or .berlin....

Jul 20, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do .edu and .gov domains really provide an SEO advantage?

Contrary to popular belief, .edu and .gov domains do not provide more 'link juice' or ranking advantage in Google....

Jul 20, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does your domain extension (TLD) really impact your search rankings?

Choosing between an expensive domain (like a $10,000 .com) and a cheaper one is primarily a business and branding decision rather than an SEO decision....

Jul 20, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it time to ditch the m. subdomain for mobile?

Google does not recommend using an m.mobile subdomain (m.domain.com) for the mobile version of your site. This practice was used for sites that didn't have a proper mobile version....

Jul 20, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do 404 errors and 301 redirects really hurt your SEO rankings?

404 errors are completely harmless, just like 301 redirects. You should choose the solution best suited to your specific scenario without worrying about negative SEO impact....

Jul 11, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do you really need to worry about a high volume of 404 errors on your site?

A large quantity of 404 pages in Google Search Console has no negative effect on the ranking of normal pages with 200 status....

Jul 11, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is the .ai domain really being treated as a gTLD by Google?

Since early June 2023, Google treats the .ai domain as a gTLD (generic top-level domain) in Google Search, not as a ccTLD for Anguilla. It can therefore be used for a global presence....

Jul 11, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Really Use LLMs and AI to Diagnose Your SEO Problems?

Gary Illyes stated that it's better to avoid using AI and LLMs to diagnose SEO issues or problems on your site. "LLMs have a high wow factor, but they know nothing about your website. Don't use them t...

Jun 27, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google really push Search Console as the gold standard for indexation diagnostics?

Google strongly recommends using Search Console rather than other methods to understand indexation problems. The tool allows you to see how many pages are indexed and where Google discovered them, at ...

Jun 22, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google's URL Inspection Tool really replace manual indexation testing?

The URL inspection tool in Search Console allows you to check in near real-time whether an individual page is indexed, submit a URL for indexation, and test whether Google can index that page. It's pa...

Jun 22, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really prioritize indexing the homepage first on brand new sites?

Google's systems are designed to crawl and index the homepage (domain.com) as a priority, especially for new sites. If the homepage is not indexed, this usually indicates a significant technical probl...

Jun 22, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available