What does Google say about SEO? /
John Mueller is one of Google's most active spokespeople on search engine optimization topics. As a Search Advocate, he regularly answers the SEO community's questions during Google Search Central sessions and on social media. His statements are a prime source of information for understanding how Google Search works and the best practices to follow.
Quick SEO Quiz

Test your SEO knowledge in 3 questions

Less than 30 seconds. Find out how much you really know about Google search.

🕒 ~30s 🎯 3 questions 📚 SEO Google
★★★ Should you slow down Googlebot when it's crawling your site too aggressively?
If Googlebot is crawling your site too aggressively, you can use standard HTTP result codes 503 or 429 to slow it down....
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are these new structured data types really opening doors for your SEO, or just adding technical overhead?
Google has announced several new types of structured data: course information, vehicle announcements for auto dealerships, learning videos for students and teachers, vacation rental listings, updates ...
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is the death of third-party cookies threatening your e-commerce conversions?
Chrome is progressively removing third-party cookies, notably affecting e-commerce payment processes and comment or login systems. It is recommended to test your site to verify if it is affected....
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ What are Google's real priorities hidden behind its latest algorithmic updates?
Google has deployed several algorithmic updates including Core Updates, a spam update, and a Reviews update. Details are available on Google's blog and the Search Status Dashboard....
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you block Google's generative AI in robots.txt? Here's what you need to know about Google-Extended
Google has added Google-Extended, a new user agent for robots.txt. Web publishers can use it to control whether their sites help improve Bard and generative Vertex AI APIs....
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do structured data implementations really guarantee rich snippet display in Google search results?
Structured data is primarily used to provide more context in search results, but its use is not guaranteed by Google....
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is Google really cutting down the Page Experience Report to just Core Web Vitals and HTTPS?
The Page Experience Report in Search Console has been simplified to provide an overview of Core Web Vitals and HTTPS status. Core Web Vitals measure the speed and interactivity of a web page....
Dec 19, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are Google's new structured data types really worth implementing for your SEO strategy?
Google launched several new structured data types in December 2023, notably for discussion forums, profile pages, and vehicle listings. These new options allow webmasters to enhance their semantic mar...
Dec 15, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why is Google removing the crawl rate tool from Search Console?
Google has announced the removal of the crawl rate tool in Search Console. This tool will no longer be available to webmasters....
Dec 15, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are you missing the critical Search Console features that could transform your SEO strategy?
Google deployed several Search Console updates in December 2023, including modifications to tools and features for webmasters....
Dec 15, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is Google finally releasing clear documentation on LLMs and their SEO impact?
Google has published educational resources on large language models (LLMs) and their impact on search, helping SEO professionals understand these technologies....
Dec 15, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why is Google now publishing dedicated resources on local SEO for businesses?
Google has highlighted important resources for local businesses, underscoring the importance of local search optimization in their visibility strategy....
Dec 15, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you still optimize meta tags and heading tags in SEO?
Google considers certain elements to be less of a priority in SEO, namely: meta tags, keywords in headings (Hn), and word count. These factors are not the most important for determining ranking in sea...
Dec 14, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really include a link to your website in every PDF you publish?
For PDF files, it is recommended to include a link to your website within the PDF document so that users can easily find their way back to your site....
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really choose between HTML and PDF based on how your audience consumes content?
In practice, content is often available in only one format because that's what the audience prefers. HTML works better for content viewed on mobile (restaurant menu), while PDF is suited for content m...
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google Really Favor HTML Over PDF When Duplicate Content Is Detected?
When Google's systems detect duplicate content between HTML and PDF, they generally prioritize the HTML version of the page....
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How can you effectively control which version of duplicate HTML and PDF content Google indexes?
You have controls available to manage indexing: use an HTTP noindex header or a meta robots tag to block indexing of one version, or use the link rel=canonical element to indicate your preference to G...
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really index HTML and PDF content independently, even when the text is identical?
Google's systems can index web pages and PDFs separately, even if their textual content is technically duplicated. These two versions can appear independently in search results....
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should You Really Invest in an Aged Domain to Boost Your SEO?
On the social network X, a user asked whether the age of a domain name had any impact on its ranking in search results. John Mueller responded with a clearly sarcastic tone: "Mainly those who want to ...
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it safe to publish the same content in both HTML and PDF without triggering duplicate content penalties?
It is perfectly acceptable to publish the same content twice: once in HTML and once as a downloadable PDF. Google can find and index both formats separately....
Dec 12, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.