John Mueller

★★★ How long should you really keep a redirect after a domain migration?

Keep redirects from old domains for at least a year after migration to properly pass authority, and ideally, for as long as possible to prevent spam issues on old domain names....

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are backlinks really becoming a secondary ranking factor?

While links are a factor in our ranking algorithms, there are many others. Mass purchasing of links does not necessarily provide a benefit since we can choose to ignore them....

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really be cautious about repeated slogans and internal links on every page?

The use of a slogan or text containing keywords appearing on every page of a site is normal and poses no issue in Google's eyes....

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does hreflang really prevent Google from merging your international versions?

In cases of similar content, Google can merge versions for indexing, even with hreflang. Ensure that the pages are sufficiently different to avoid merging and display a message suggesting the correct ...

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really ditch m-dot sites for responsive design?

It is recommended to switch to responsive design rather than maintaining separate m-dot sites, even though we still support the latter with mobile-first indexing....

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Will technical SEO truly remain at the heart of search engine optimization?

SEO will remain relevant, with ongoing importance for URLs and proper technical configuration, while also needing to meet changing user expectations....

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does user-centered quality really satisfy Google's demands?

For Google, content quality is determined by its relevance and uniqueness to the user. Focusing efforts on user feedback rather than algorithm functioning is essential....

Mar 06, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is PageRank Still a Decisive Ranking Factor in SEO?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that Google's algorithm still uses the concept of PageRank today, even though the current PR has changed significantly from the initial formula: "It's not quite the s...

Mar 02, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How Does Google Interpret an H1 Tag Placed on an Image?

John Mueller indicated, again on Twitter, that if an H1 tag is positioned on an image, it's the ALT attribute of the image that is taken as the H1 text....

Feb 24, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is Word Count Really a Ranking Factor for SEO on Google?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that publishing content with the same word count as content ranking #1 on Google is not a criterion that will guarantee good rankings. Generally speaking, the word co...

Feb 24, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Googlebot really crawl millions of pages on very large sites?

There is no strict limit on the number of pages that Googlebot will crawl on a site. If a site is recognized as important, Google may crawl up to millions of pages, but this behavior can vary based on...

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do e-commerce transactions actually influence Google rankings?

Purchases made by consumers on e-commerce sites are not utilized by Google as a ranking factor in organic search....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really disavow all those 'toxic' backlinks?

Inappropriate or excessive use of Disavow files to remove natural backlinks can harm your ranking in search results....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ What happens when you merge two websites: Is cumulative traffic really guaranteed?

Combining two websites can lead to an inevitable ranking adjustment. Google does not guarantee a simple sum of traffic from the old sites due to this merger. The impact can be positive, neutral, or ne...

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really show Googlebot an ad-free version of your pages?

It is acceptable to treat Googlebot as a premium user who sees ad-free pages if this aligns with the user experience, but it is advisable to limit this to content protected by a paywall....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should your alt text really describe the image rather than optimize your keywords?

Alt text should describe what the image shows, not include all the site's keywords. This helps users understand the images and does not benefit from merely including keywords....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is Long-Term Stable Link Building a Red Flag for Google?

If your 'long-term stable link building' strategy is seen as artificial by Google, it could cause problems with the algorithm....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really replace your meta descriptions with navigation content?

Google can replace the meta description with navigation content if it does not find a relevant match with the user's search. Ensure that your meta description aligns with specific queries....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Hreflang really protect against duplicate content across countries?

If the same content is available in the same language for different countries, Google will often index them together and then attempt to distinguish them in search results for the appropriate audience...

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why does the mobile usability report only cover a sample of your pages?

The mobile usability report in Search Console is based on a sample of pages rather than all the indexed pages of your site....

Feb 21, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available