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.
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🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Does improving site speed really enhance Google’s crawl frequency and ranking?
Improving your site's speed can indeed increase crawl frequency if Google needs to access more URLs. However, crawl frequency does not guarantee a better ranking; it simply allows for quicker updates ...
Nov 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why do your server logs never match the crawl numbers from Search Console?
It is difficult to precisely reproduce the crawl figures from Search Console using your access logs due to data compilation. The stats may include various access types like Googlebot, rendering, robot...
Nov 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can a Backlink Still Pass SEO Value if the Source Page Isn't Indexed?
John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that a backlink is only taken into account if the link is present in a page indexed by the search engine. If a link exists but the page containing it disappears or ...
Nov 25, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google Really Penalize Websites Using Outdated HTML Code?
John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that Google does not penalize sites that use "old version" HTML, the use of tables, the absence of CSS, the fact that the HTML code does not pass the W3C Validator,...
Nov 25, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Google really cutting Flash from its index, and what does this mean for your rich content?
Google Search will no longer support Flash for indexing. The features once provided by Flash are now available in HTML and JavaScript, rendering Flash obsolete as most browsers no longer support it....
Nov 18, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should You Really Set a Target Country in Search Console for International SEO?
John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that indicating a target country for a site in Search Console does not prevent it from appearing in the Google version for other countries. For example, if you indi...
Nov 18, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Google Search Console finally revealing actionable speed data?
The new updates in Search Console include a report on site speed, emphasizing the importance of speed and allowing for the detection of bottlenecks. Additionally, performance metrics now display fresh...
Nov 18, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Site Kit WordPress: does Google really push its plugin for better ranking?
Google has introduced Site Kit, a WordPress plugin that allows you to easily connect your site to Google services such as Search Console, Analytics, AdSense, and PageSpeed Insights, thereby facilitati...
Nov 18, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really overlook performance scores for SEO?
Site speed performance is evaluated using both lab data and real-world data. Focusing on a single score is not recommended....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that the Google Indexing API is inaccessible to 99% of websites?
The Indexing API is limited to live streaming content and job postings. For other content, it is recommended to use sitemap files....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really use the URL parameter management tool to optimize crawling?
If you have URL parameters that complicate crawling, such as those for sorting or filtering, you can use the parameter management tool. Otherwise, if crawling is functioning well, it is not necessary ...
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are accented characters in URLs really treated as synonyms by Google?
Special characters in URLs such as accented letters are treated as automatic synonyms in Google search, unless indicated otherwise by user-synonym context....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Do temporary 404 errors really affect SEO rankings?
Temporary errors like sporadic 404 pages do not have a lasting negative impact on SEO if they are occasional and corrected quickly....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do 302 redirects really penalize SEO less than 301?
A 302 redirect does not negatively affect rankings like a 301 redirect does, as it does not indicate a permanent URL change. This plays an important role in the context of temporary redirects....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do big images really enhance your visibility in Google Discover?
In Google Discover, visual content, such as large images, tends to attract user attention more effectively....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do rich results really depend on the overall quality of the site?
To display rich results, we need technically correct structured data, logically appropriate markup, and a high-quality website. If you see rich results using a 'site:' query, focus on improving the si...
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you still be concerned about the desktop crawler in mobile-first indexing?
When we move a site to mobile-first indexing, we primarily use the mobile crawler. However, we sometimes still use the desktop crawler for certain pages, which is not an issue you need to worry about....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why can't your images be indexed without a landing page?
For images to appear in image search, they must be associated with an indexable landing page. You cannot have indexed images without their pages....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot really click your buttons to index dynamic content?
Googlebot does not click on elements to load additional content. Thus, dynamic content loaded via JavaScript without a distinct URL may not be indexed....
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Mobile-First Indexing a Game Changer for Desktop Ranking?
With mobile-first indexing, Google indexes a site's mobile version instead of the desktop version. This means that mobile content becomes the foundation for indexing and ranking, even for desktop sear...
Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
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