John Mueller

★★ Are keywords in the URL a ranking factor or just a temporary crutch?

Words in the URL are used as a very light factor. Google takes them into account mainly when it hasn't yet accessed the content for the first time. Once the content is crawled and indexed, the languag...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really delete or redirect expired content instead of keeping it indexable?

For classified sites with expired content, either redirect to the category page (soft 404) or return a 404 error. Both options remove the page from search results. Do not keep old pages labeled 'expir...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can you use different templates for each language version without harming international SEO?

For an international site organized in subdirectories, it is perfectly acceptable to use different templates or navigations for different international sections. Google can understand the templates fo...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is there any structured markup that guarantees the appearance of a Knowledge Panel?

There is no specific structured markup that guarantees the appearance of a Knowledge Panel for a brand. You can provide information such as the logo, address, hours, but that does not guarantee the di...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does copied content sometimes outrank the original despite the DMCA?

For copied content, use the DMCA process to report duplicate content. If copied content regularly ranks above the original, it indicates that algorithms have concerns about the overall perceived quali...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does the internal links report in Search Console truly reflect the state of your link structure?

The internal links report in Search Console is based on a sample of pages from the site, not all indexed pages. It is not on the same level as the index coverage report....

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can you really force sitelinks to appear in Google?

Sitelinks are generated automatically like Knowledge Panels. Nothing specific can force their display. Google primarily generates them based on the internal navigation of the site. For most sites, Goo...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does copied content outrank your original material on Google?

If you regularly see copied content ranking above your original material, it indicates that Google's algorithms have doubts about the perceived overall quality of your site. You need to significantly ...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that mobile hidden content is really indexed by Google?

If an element is in the DOM but hidden in mobile responsiveness, Google can still retrieve it for indexing. Google tries to determine which parts are visible for ranking but understands mobile interac...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do Core Web Vitals Really Influence Google's Crawl Budget?

If Google can access HTML pages faster due to improved Core Web Vitals, it may potentially crawl more. This also depends on the site's capacity and Google's demand....

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How many redirects does Google really follow before it splits the crawl?

Google follows about five consecutive redirects immediately and treats them as a single request. If a URL has more than five redirects, they are treated as separate requests....

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do 301 redirects really transfer 100% of PageRank and SEO signals?

When you redirect one URL to another with a 301 redirect, Google transfers all signals and links from the old URL to the new URL, including links with parameters....

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do featured snippets and rich results really fluctuate randomly?

Featured snippets and rich results can fluctuate over time. Teams continually refine the triggering of these features. These are not technical changes but adjustments aimed at improving relevance and ...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can hreflang really be used across multiple distinct domains?

Hreflang does not necessarily have to be limited to a single domain. It is possible to use hreflang across different domains to indicate the relationships between the linguistic or regional versions o...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it true that AMP or canonical really captures the SEO signals?

Google transfers information and signals from AMP to the canonical URL. For Core Web Vitals, Google tracks the canonical and uses the metrics based on it....

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really avoid duplicating your content across two distinct sites?

Creating two distinct sites for the same content leads to competing with yourself. Both versions will carry signals and value in Google's eyes, which can result in both ranking in the mid-range instea...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do words in the URL really influence Google rankings?

Google uses words in the URL as a very, very slight factor. It is mainly used during the very first discovery of a URL, before having access to the content. Once the content is crawled and indexed, th...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is AMP really neutral for Google rankings, or does it hide an invisible visibility lever?

AMP is not a direct ranking factor. However, removing AMP can lead to a drop in traffic if the site benefits from search features like Top Stories that currently require AMP. This will change with the...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is the DMCA really effective in protecting your duplicated content on Google?

To protect your content copied by other sites, you can use the DMCA process. It is a legal process where you report to Google that your content has been copied, page by page....

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Page Experience really only matter for mobile SEO?

The ranking factor related to page experience and Core Web Vitals applies to mobile and not to desktop, at least initially. It is on mobile where the obstacles are greatest, with limited processors an...

Mar 12, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available