John Mueller

★★ Does directory architecture really influence Google's crawl budget?

Organizing URLs with distinct directories can help Google understand site structures and determine the appropriate crawling frequency for each section....

Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really keep 301 redirects for a minimum of one year?

It is helpful to keep 301 redirects for at least a year to ensure that Google has enough time to sustainably process these changes....

Nov 15, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really ditch infinite scroll to enhance your indexing?

To ensure good indexing, it is advisable to maintain normal links for pagination rather than infinite scrolling or AJAX techniques, especially for mobile versions of websites....

Nov 15, 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

★★★ Does loading speed really affect Google rankings?

Improving your site's loading speed positively impacts not only potentially the ranking but also the user experience, as slow pages can discourage visitors....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is internal duplicate content really harmless for SEO?

Duplicate content within your own site does not lead to a penalty. It is typically viewed as natural and common....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does embedding a YouTube video in a foreign language hurt your page's SEO?

Embedding a YouTube video in English on a Swedish site does not harm SEO. Google will associate the video with your page without penalizing it for a language difference....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why do some algorithm updates go unnoticed while others shake the entire industry?

Algorithm updates at Google are constant. Some updates are more visible than others for certain websites, leading to discussions in the SEO industry....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is Google's Sandbox a real phenomenon or just an SEO myth?

There is no Sandbox at Google. For new sites, Google must gather relevant signals before determining their exact ranking....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really disavow spammy backlinks inherited from a purchased site?

Backlinks created suspiciously by a previous administration of your site can be disavowed if you cannot clean them up. However, removing such links from your disavow file should not have major negativ...

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really block the indexing of internal search in e-commerce?

Google recommends not indexing internal search result pages on an e-commerce site. This can lead to an explosion in the number of indexed URLs without useful content....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is Google really evaluating your site's quality constantly?

Google is constantly assessing website quality using various signals, meaning that algorithm updates are not the only times when a site's quality is measured....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can single-page websites really rank well in SEO?

Single-page websites can rank well in search results if they cover the subject thoroughly. However, it is generally more advantageous to expand an existing site rather than create multiple single-page...

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ What does the status 'valid' in Google Search Console really mean?

The term 'valid' in Google's Search Console can be misleading. It is used to indicate that a page has been indexed, not that it contains errors....

Nov 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is There a Specific Loading Time You Should Target to Rank Well on Google?

In a video from the #AskGoogleWebmasters series, John Mueller and Martin Splitt explain that there is no "ideal page loading speed" for Google. Basically, ranking is done between "values" like "very g...

Nov 12, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Build Your XML Sitemap from a Third-Party Crawl or Use an Integrated Solution?

John Mueller indicated on Reddit that it wasn't a good thing to create an XML Sitemap file based on a site crawl by a third-party tool, as URLs can be missed and this can affect server response time d...

Nov 12, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Block Parameterized URLs in Robots.txt or Rely on Canonical Tags Instead?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that you should not use the robots.txt file to deindex parameterized URLs in favor of those same URLs without parameters, because the search engine cannot canonicaliz...

Nov 12, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Split Your XML Sitemap Into Multiple Smaller Files Instead of One Large File?

John Mueller explained during a Reddit discussion that there is no ideal size for an XML Sitemap file. Generally speaking, he added that the size of this file does not influence the crawling of the si...

Nov 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available