John Mueller

★★★ Should you really add a self-referencing canonical tag on every page?

Using a self-referencing canonical tag (pointing to the same page) is recommended because it helps Google identify the preferred version when a page can be crawled with different URL variations (www/n...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that you can ditch AMP to appear in Google Discover?

Google does not require AMP to appear in Discover. Normal web pages can also appear there. The main difference is the thumbnail size: larger by default for AMP, but web pages can have the same size us...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does fact-check markup really enhance your page rankings?

Fact-checking tags or fact-check articles are rich results that alter the presentation in search results, but they do not constitute a direct ranking signal. Simply having this markup will not improve...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does your site fluctuate between page 1 and page 5 of Google's results?

Significant fluctuations between page 1 and pages 4-5 indicate that Google's algorithms are uncertain about how to rank the site. The solution is to significantly improve the overall quality of the si...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do News sitemaps really speed up the indexing of your content?

News sitemaps (limited to 1000 URLs) help Google index content from sites already identified as news sources more quickly. However, using a News sitemap will not speed up indexing if Google is not alr...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really update a page's publication date to improve its ranking?

You can update a page's date when making significant changes, but doing so for mere rearrangements of images in a gallery misleads users. It doesn't affect Google rankings. Only modify the date for su...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do AMP pages still hold a competitive edge against Core Web Vitals?

Google treats AMP pages like regular HTML pages for ranking purposes. When Core Web Vitals are used as a ranking factor, they will also apply to AMP pages. By default, AMP pages are fast and generally...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does a spammy past really erase its SEO footprint after a decade?

A spammy site hosted on a domain ten years ago will have no residual effects on the current site. Spam effects do not persist after a ten-year hiatus. The only possible effects concern artificial link...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are you truly confident that you don't have any Google manual penalties?

If there is no manual action displayed in Search Console, then there is no manual action applied to the site. Manual actions are always visible in Search Console and can be resolved there....

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you nofollow all editorial links that come from collaborations with experts?

Collaborations where experts contribute to improving content and receive a recognition link are generally acceptable, provided there is no obligation for reciprocity. The issue arises when it becomes ...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ What exactly constitutes a natural link according to Google, and how can you avoid risky practices?

A link is considered natural if there is no exchange of value. Forbidden practices include: trading links (I’ll link to you if you link to me), paying for links, or forcing someone to create a link. T...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really wait for links to come in 'naturally' or take the initiative?

Google's recommendation is to create exceptional content that will naturally attract links over time. However, it is also advised to be proactive: advertising, reaching out to local press, and activel...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are Backlinks Becoming a Secondary Ranking Factor?

Google uses much more than links for ranking. Links are particularly important at the start when Google does not yet know the site. Once the site is known and its context understood, growth can become...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you be worried about massively removing backlinks after a manual penalty?

Mass removal of links after a manual penalty is not seen as an alarm signal by Google. If the site was artificially boosted by these links, its visibility will naturally decrease after their removal, ...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are separate mobile URLs (m.example.com) still a viable SEO option?

The configuration with separate mobile URLs (m.example.com) remains fully supported with proper canonical and alternate tags. Google recommends a single version for simplicity but does not enforce thi...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why does it really take 3 to 4 months for a revamp to be recognized by Google?

After significant qualitative improvements on a site, it takes about 3 to 4 months for Google to recrawl the content and understand that the site has fundamentally changed. The technical recrawl can t...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ How long can a 503 error last without risking deindexation?

The server code 503 indicates a temporary error. Google recommends not using it for more than 2 to 7 days maximum, after which Google will begin to progressively deindex the affected URLs....

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are long-term 302 redirects really equivalent to 301s for SEO?

If a 302 (temporary) redirect remains in place for years, Google will treat it as a permanent redirect and index the destination page. No loss of value is associated with the choice between 302 and 30...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can database-generated sites still rank by automatically cross-referencing data?

Creating millions of pages by automatically cross-referencing data (cities × services, for example) is not enough. Algorithms seek unique value beyond the simple compilation of data already available ...

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that the number of words isn't a Google ranking factor?

Google does not count the words on a page to determine its ranking. A 300-word piece can be excellent, while a 2000-word piece can be pointless. What matters is the value provided, not the length....

Apr 01, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available