John Mueller

★★★ Should you really redirect all your ccTLDs to a single domain?

If all versions of ccTLDs contain the same content in English and are maintained solely for historical reasons, it may be wise to redirect them to a single site to avoid duplication and simplify manag...

Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really block tracking parameters for Googlebot through cloaking?

Adding tracking parameters for users while blocking them for bots via cloaking is allowed, but it's not a good SEO practice as it complicates the analysis of your traffic and site navigation. It is pr...

Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are Sitelinks Search Boxes Really Under SEO Control?

Adding tags for search sitelinks does not guarantee their appearance; they are only used if Google decides to display a search box for your site....

Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really be wary of the noreferrer attribute on your links?

The noreferrer attribute on a link prevents the transmission of referrer information to the target site. This is separate from nofollow, which limits the transfer of signals between pages for search e...

Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really switch from a .com to a .ca to exclusively target Canada?

Redirecting a site from a dot-com to a dot-ca is feasible even if you are targeting only Canada. It will not have a major negative impact if managed correctly....

Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do non-canonical URLs in internal links really kill PageRank?

Using non-canonical URLs in internal links does not directly affect PageRank flow, but it can complicate analysis in Search Console and lead Google to choose the wrong canonical URL....

Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do Google's Internal SEO Teams Really Have Access to Privileged Algorithm Information?

John Mueller explained in one of his "Ask Google Webmasters" video series that Google's SEO spokespeople and, more generally, the team managing the search engine don't provide any information to Googl...

Apr 27, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really clean up all internal links after a 301 redirect?

To help Google focus on the new URL after a 301 redirect, it is advisable to update internal links, sitemap files, and any other references pointing to the original page so that they point to the new ...

Apr 22, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does the URL inspection tool really solve your canonicalization issues?

With the URL inspection tool in Search Console, you can check which URL Google has selected as canonical. If it’s not the desired page, search for and correct the signals pointing to the old URL....

Apr 22, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do 301 redirects really ensure your canonical is recognized by Google?

301 redirects are regarded by Google as a canonicalization signal indicating that you prefer the destination page to be indexed instead of the original page. However, Google employs many other factors...

Apr 22, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How Does Google Handle Sudden Search Spikes and Fleeting Trends?

John Mueller explained during a hangout that Google's algorithm does not currently take into account changes in internet user behavior due to the coronavirus, for example: searches to buy toilet paper...

Apr 20, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why Has Differentiation Become Essential for Ranking Well on Google?

John Mueller indicated in a hangout that it was very difficult to "stand out from the crowd" when you offer the same information on your site as dozens of other information sources on the Web (he was ...

Apr 20, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why Does Google Sometimes Ignore Your Meta Description in Search Results?

John Mueller indicated in a webmaster hangout the various reasons why Google will not use the content of a page's meta "description" tag in its snippet (page summary in search results): 1. The meta de...

Apr 20, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why can a Google reconsideration request take two months without a response?

Reconsideration requests can take a significant amount of time, sometimes up to two months, to receive a response....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really remove breadcrumb markup from your homepage?

Using breadcrumb markup on the homepage may be unnecessary since there is no path leading to it....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really be worried when you modify the anchor text of your main navigation?

Changing anchor text to be less specific without losing the overall context is feasible, but it may require relearning from Google....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it really necessary to limit the number of pages to enhance SEO value?

It is recommended to limit the number of pages on a website to focus on quality and strengthen the existing ones, rather than dilute them with multiple keyword variations....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google advise against automatic redirection for multilingual homepages?

Automatically redirecting users to a specific language version can complicate the diagnosis of indexing-related issues....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do backlinks from adult sites really penalize your SEO?

Having links from adult sites does not prevent ranking otherwise, but it is possible to use the 'disavow' tool to lessen their impact....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can hreflang enhance the visibility of an international site in local search results?

Using hreflang will not make a site more popular in a country if the site is not already shown in search results....

Apr 19, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available