Gary Illyes

★★★ Can Googlebot really stop crawling your site due to server error codes?

Googlebot automatically slows down if the site sends 429 or 50x codes, or if response speed significantly decreases. Crawling can even stop completely if these signals persist....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ How can you spot a genuine crawl budget issue on your website?

To identify crawl budget issues, check for URLs that have never been crawled in your server logs and monitor refresh rates. If certain sections aren’t refreshed for months despite modifications, it’s ...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does removing low-quality content really improve the crawl budget?

Removing or pruning less useful content from your site enables Googlebot to focus its time on higher quality pages that are actually beneficial to users....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you sacrifice server speed to save on crawl budget?

If your servers can handle it, avoid sending 429 or 50x error codes and ensure that your server responds quickly. This positively influences Googlebot's crawl....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really mean it when they say every URL counts toward your crawl budget?

Every crawled URL counts against the crawl budget: alternate language versions, CSS files, images. Even 170 language variations of a page all consume budget; they are not exempt....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really apply the same ranking rules to all websites?

Google applies the Honest Results policy to maintain fairness. It doesn't matter if you are a small or large publisher, if you spend $1 or millions on Google Ads, or if you work at Google or know Goog...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google refuse to answer your SEO questions in private?

Google cannot answer SEO questions in private (email, DM) because it would create an unfair advantage. Questions must be asked publicly on Twitter, in webmaster help forums, or during public office ho...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does spending more on Google Ads really boost your SEO?

The amount spent on Google Ads or other Google products (Cloud, etc.) has no influence on SEO questions or organic ranking. The Honest Results policy strictly prohibits it....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Who really decides on exceptions to Google's Honest Results policy?

Exceptions to the Honest Results policy only concern issues that significantly impact Google users. These decisions are made by Search leadership, not by individual engineers, and are never based on t...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you still report spam to Google if reports are never handled individually?

Google encourages the submission of spam reports through the dedicated form. These reports are analyzed as a whole to identify trends, not individually. Google is looking for scalable solutions to add...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Search Console really provide an SEO advantage to its users?

Search Console is a Search product, thus covered by the Honest Results policy. Google cannot give unfair advantages even for verification or use of Search Console, as they do not have the capacity to ...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does escalating a request with Google really impact your SEO?

Escalating a request through management hierarchy (my boss will talk to your boss) does not bypass the Honest Results policy. It may even create a negative bias and more frustration. The policy is cle...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are Office Hours truly the best channel to ask your SEO questions to Google?

John Mueller's Office Hours (roughly weekly) are the recommended channel for asking SEO questions. You can post on YouTube or join the video call directly. The recordings are then published. Links ava...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it true that Google refuses to give direct SEO answers?

Google cannot always give direct answers to SEO questions, but providing general direction can be very helpful. Seeing the path to take may be sufficient for a webmaster to debug an issue on their sid...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does the Google feedback form in the SERPs really work?

The feedback form directly within Google search results is reviewed by analysts. Some feedback is escalated internally if it is actionable. It's a legitimate way to report search quality issues....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really treat all websites equally, regardless of their size or ad budget?

Google implements a strict policy of fair results. It doesn't matter if you are a small or large publisher, whether you spend €1 or millions on Google Ads, or if you work at Google or know someone at ...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google refuse to answer your SEO questions privately?

Google generally does not respond to private emails or direct messages regarding SEO in order to respect the policy of fair outcomes. Questions must be asked publicly (Twitter, Webmaster forums, offic...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does spending more on Google Ads really improve your organic SEO?

The amount spent on Google Ads or any other Google product has no influence on the handling of natural SEO issues. The principle of fair results applies regardless of ad spending....

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can Google really intervene manually on your site for exceptional reasons?

Google can take exceptional measures only when an issue clearly affects a large number of Google users. These decisions are made by Search leadership, not individual engineers. They are never based on...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it true that reporting spam to Google is almost pointless?

Google encourages reporting spam but processes these reports in an aggregate manner, not individually. The team analyzes all reports to identify patterns and find scalable solutions for each type of s...

Dec 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available