John Mueller

★★ Are multiple URL parameters really a risk for thin content?

Having several products with similar parameters is not considered thin content. Google learns which parameters are important and which are not. The URL parameter management tool can help clarify this....

Apr 23, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do links on forums and UGC sites still hold any SEO value?

Most sites using user-generated content (like Quora) apply no-follow to their links. Therefore, it is rare to gain any SEO advantage. Google may consider the massive addition of links on forums as bor...

Apr 23, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does a 301 redirect really suffice to impose the canonical to Google?

Google uses 301 redirects as a signal of canonicalization, but also relies on other signals: internal links, sitemaps, external links, and annotations. It can happen that a redirect is in place but th...

Apr 23, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why do your Search Console data fluctuate so much from one query to another?

The metrics in the search performance report are based on real search results, but these real results can vary greatly from one search to another....

Apr 21, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can images really boost your positions in traditional web results?

For web results, keep in mind that your site can also appear in images within normal search results....

Apr 21, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why are your impressions so low in the Search Console?

If you observe a significantly lower number of impressions than expected for certain queries, it's generally a sign that your site was only visible for a small portion of the total impressions....

Apr 21, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why do your Google rankings change based on who is searching and where they are?

You won't always see the same ranking when checking for yourself, usually due to personalization, geographic targeting, or temporary visibility in search results....

Apr 21, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How does Google really calculate average position when multiple URLs rank for the same query?

The average position is calculated based on the highest position of a URL from your site. If multiple URLs from your site appear in the search results, Google uses the one that is ranked highest to ca...

Apr 21, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google Search Console's average position really reflect the reality of your rankings?

The data from the search performance report in Google Search Console is based on actual search results displayed to users, not theoretical numbers....

Apr 21, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Split Your YMYL and Non-YMYL Content Across Two Separate Websites to Improve Your SEO?

We're familiar with the concept of "YMYL: Your Money, Your Life" sites and their significance, particularly during recent Google "core updates," in the realm of E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Tr...

Apr 19, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why Does Google Ignore CSS-Displayed Images for Indexing Purposes?

John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that Google only indexes an image if it is displayed using an <img> tag. Images displayed via CSS (particularly background images) are not taken into account, nor a...

Apr 19, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do Core Web Vitals Really Take 28 Days to Impact Your SEO Rankings?

John Mueller explained in a webmaster hangout that Core Web Vitals "scores" (LCP, CLS, FID) would not be calculated in real-time (unlike filters such as Panda or Penguin, for example) starting next Ma...

Apr 19, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can we really control the appearance of sitelinks in Google?

Sitelinks appear algorithmically based on user needs, not through specific markup. This is not something that can be directly optimized or forced to appear. If Google shows sitelinks, one can then con...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do Core Web Vitals on desktop really have no impact on Google rankings?

For now, only mobile user experience (mobile Core Web Vitals) will be used as a ranking factor, and only in mobile search results. Desktop results will not take Core Web Vitals into account. Other pag...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can you really use review structured data for reviews copied from a third-party site?

If you copy reviews from a third-party site and display them on your own site (with permission), you can treat them as testimonials but cannot use 'review' structured data. Review structured data can ...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why does HTTP authentication provide better protection for your staging site than robots.txt or noindex?

To prevent Google from crawling and indexing a staging site, use authentication instead of robots.txt or noindex. The advantage: if you accidentally push staging to production with authentication acti...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really focus on optimizing entire pages instead of individual passages?

Passage ranking helps Google identify important parts of very long pages. However, it is essential to continue optimizing the entire page, not just individual sections. For SEO-optimized sites, it may...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is UX really a Google ranking factor or just a side effect?

Google does not have a pure 'user experience' ranking factor, but rather elements related to it: the page layout algorithm (meaningful unique content above the fold vs. ads) and Core Web Vitals (loadi...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does switching CMS really destroy your organic search rankings?

Switching CMS (e.g., from Squarespace to WordPress) will likely affect your ranking, positively or negatively depending on the quality of the migration. Google does not only look at text but at everyt...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are breadcrumbs really beneficial for SEO, or are they just a UI gimmick?

Breadcrumbs have two SEO functions: helping crawl via internal linking (but not necessary if the site is already well-linked), and displaying structured navigation in search results through breadcrumb...

Apr 16, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available