Gary Illyes

★★ Should You Stop Using Video and Image Tags in Your XML Sitemaps?

Google is considering deprecating certain video and image sitemap extension tags that have equivalents in structured data. This would avoid conflicts between sitemap data and structured data, the latt...

May 05, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are session identifiers in URL parameters still sabotaging your site's crawlability?

Session identifiers in URL parameters create a pseudo-infinite number of URLs for search engines, making crawling impossible. This widespread problem in the 2000s was revealed to webmasters when they ...

May 05, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is Japan really getting priority treatment for Google Search features?

Japan is a highly prioritized country for most Google Search teams. While certain features are initially launched in American English, teams work to deploy them in other countries like Japan....

Apr 26, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really read every single piece of user feedback submitted on their documentation?

The Google team reads all user feedback submitted daily via the feedback form on the documentation. Quality feedback that clearly specifies the problem is handled the same day or quickly....

Apr 26, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is text content really still the cornerstone of Google rankings?

Search engines operate primarily based on textual content. They analyze the tokens and keywords present in the content to rank pages. The 'content is king' principle exists because content is the fund...

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can Google really identify the technical expertise level of your audience?

From a search perspective, Google cannot know whether the user performing a query is a developer or an end user. The engine cannot rely solely on domain names to determine the technical level of the t...

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Have Domain Names Really Lost Their Ranking Power in Google's Eyes?

Since the Exact Match Domains era, Google has withdrawn trust from domain names, causing them to rank less well for words that appear in the domain. This measure was designed to counter the exploitati...

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you use rel=canonical instead of noindex to handle similar content?

To manage closely related content such as a blog article and a documentation page on the same subject, it is preferable to use the canonical tag rather than noindex. This allows search engines to unde...

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are 301/302 redirects really damaging your user experience and SEO?

Using a 301, 302, or 308 redirect removes the user's ability to read the original page. This approach is only appropriate if the content is identical, not if you have two different but related pieces ...

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are impressions and clicks really enough to measure your SEO success?

Measuring SEO success solely through impressions and clicks can be misleading. What's more important is to examine whether the traffic converts and whether users are accomplishing the desired action. ...

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does meta description really matter for your Google rankings?

When optimizing a page, meta description doesn't have as much importance as content and title. Its impact on rankings is limited compared to other page elements....

Mar 24, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why is Google finally making Googlebot IP addresses publicly available?

Google recently published its IP addresses to make it easier for publishers to identify Googlebot without requiring multiple reverse DNS lookups....

Mar 10, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really ask every SEO question without fear of looking foolish?

It is important that SEO beginners feel free to ask even the most basic questions. Google encourages an inclusive approach where all questions are legitimate, because everyone has to start somewhere....

Feb 17, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does quality content really outweigh technical SEO excellence?

Aleyda Solis' first website won first prize and earned her first job not because of code quality or site design aesthetics, but because of the quality of content about sea turtles. This illustrates th...

Feb 17, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is keyword stuffing really penalized by Google?

Keyword stuffing is clearly identified as spam and is not useful for users. Google can manually adjust the ranking of a site that practices this technique....

Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really consider all hidden text as spam, or is it more nuanced than that?

White text on white background or any text intentionally hidden to manipulate search results is considered spam. The intention to manipulate is the determining criterion, not accidental technical erro...

Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is randomly generated content really considered spam by Google's standards?

Pages containing gibberish, meaning random words without meaning, for the purpose of ranking on search queries to make money through affiliate links, constitute obvious spam practice....

Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Have backlinks really become obsolete for SEO success?

It is possible to rank without links. Links remain a ranking factor among others, but are no longer considered a truly important element in the modern ranking algorithm....

Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is your website still using plugins to display content? Here's why Google says you need to stop immediately

Browser plugins such as Flash should not be used to display content. With the evolution of the web and JavaScript APIs, plugins have become obsolete and are no longer supported....

Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are Google's SEO guidelines really reliable over time?

Google's guidelines are not set in stone and constantly evolve to adapt to the evolution of the web and user needs. What is recommended today can change tomorrow....

Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available