John Mueller

★★★ How does Google really decide the canonical URL for your pages?

Google chooses a canonical URL based on two main criteria: the site’s preference and the utility for the user. To indicate the site's preference, one can use the link rel=canonical annotation, redirec...

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does a misconfigured Vary header really affect the indexing of your responsive site?

Incorrect use of the Vary header for responsive sites does not harm indexing but can lead to unnecessary recrawls by Googlebot....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does a strong internal linking structure really boost the ranking of all your pages?

A good internal linking structure, like that found in blogs, can positively influence rankings. Ensure that all parts of the site benefit from such internal linking....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can an incorrect canonical URL really harm your SEO ranking?

If Google's systems choose a different URL as canonical, it will not negatively impact the site's ranking in search results. Ultimately, the choice of the displayed canonical URL is mostly based on yo...

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do Blogs Really Rank Faster than Static Pages on Google?

Google does not distinguish between sections of a site such as blogs and guides for ranking speed. Differences may arise due to internal linking optimization....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do prolonged 500 errors really make your pages disappear from Google's index?

Pages that have returned 500 errors for an extended period may be removed from the index. They will be reindexed once Google sees that they are responding correctly again....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do Core Updates really cause ongoing ranking changes between updates?

Core Updates are not penalties but adjustments in how relevance of pages is calculated for queries. Changes can appear over time without waiting for a new update....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How does consistent URL canonicalization impact your visibility on Google?

If you have a clear preference for certain URLs in search results, ensure you consistently apply these preferences across your site. This includes consistently using the desired internal links, updati...

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it really necessary to use the address change tool for migrating subdomains?

Site migrations can be handled without the Search Console's address change tool by correctly using 301 redirects....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google sometimes show M-Dot URLs in desktop results?

With mobile-first indexing, it's possible for Google to show M-Dot versions in desktop results if redirects are not properly implemented....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why doesn't Google index all pages on large sites?

For large-scale sites, it is normal for not all pages to be indexed. Improving internal links can help Google discover more pages....

Sep 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really take its time with tool migrations in Search Console?

In the new Google Search Console, we are not simply transferring features from the old version, but we are rethinking them. We assess whether these tools are still necessary to aid websites or if the ...

Aug 29, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does the Google Sandbox Really Exist or Is It Just an SEO Myth?

John Mueller himself indicated on Twitter that the notion of the Sandbox (the idea that a site, when it is created, is put "in quarantine" by the search engine before achieving the positions it aspire...

Aug 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are Multilingual Backlinks Toxic to Your SEO?

John Mueller reminded us on Twitter that getting backlinks from sites that aren't in your language isn't necessarily a spam signal indicating that these links are "toxic"......

Aug 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do stock images really hurt your Google Images ranking?

New photos taken by a photographer and stock images are considered distinct images by Google Images, and each is indexed separately....

Aug 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it really essential to highlight the medical validation of your health content through structured data?

While it's not necessary to mention that the content has been verified by doctors, if you are doing something beneficial for your users, it’s helpful to highlight it, as it could underscore the value ...

Aug 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is your website still not switched to mobile-first indexing?

Google has moved a significant part of the web to mobile-first indexing. If your site hasn't been migrated, it may be due to an automated assessment from the systems indicating that it is not yet read...

Aug 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really include a GTIN in your product structured data?

Not providing a global product identifier does not prevent the indexing of your structured data, but including these identifiers helps group the product if multiple sellers are involved....

Aug 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does AMP/mobile equivalence really affect Google rankings?

User experience and content on AMP pages should match those of normal pages to avoid poor user experience that could potentially harm rankings....

Aug 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How does Google really handle duplicate content in search results?

If part of a page's content is copied, Google will try to filter duplicates by showing only one version of that content for a given query....

Aug 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available