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 5 questions

Less than a minute. Find out how much you really know about Google search.

🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Do voice queries really appear in Search Console?
Voice queries used as a method of input via voice typing are recorded in Google Search Console like standard queries. However, queries processed by Google Assistant, which return responses in the form...
Aug 01, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why Is Keeping the Same URL as Long as Possible Crucial for Your SEO?
The same John Mueller, always on Twitter, has "really recommended keeping the same URL for a web page for as long as possible."...
Jul 29, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google Really Treat Redirect Loops as 404 Errors?
John Mueller explained on Twitter that Google ignores links that generate redirect loops (example: URL A redirects to URL B, which itself redirects to URL A, thus creating an infinite loop). These URL...
Jul 29, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that you don't need special rules for outbound links?
In most cases, if you create links naturally from your content to other sites offering additional value and more context, no special treatment is necessary....
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really use rel=nofollow on all your sponsored links and comments?
Be cautious with outbound links created as part of an arrangement, advertising, or in the comments on your site if the quality of the links seems uncertain. For these types of links, using the 'rel=no...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really see outbound links as a ranking factor?
Links to other sites are a great way to provide added value to your users. They often allow users to discover more information, verify your sources, and better understand how your content relates to t...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does display:none really harm your SEO?
Using 'display: none' to hide text specifically for keyword stuffing is not advisable. Legitimate use cases like tabbed interfaces are acceptable if the content is accessible upon interaction....
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should You Really Abandon Nofollow from Your Editorial Links?
Regular links should be used when you vouch for content. Nofollow is primarily reserved for advertising links or those whose credibility is uncertain....
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that image lazy loading is really compatible with Google's indexing?
Using JSON or jQuery for image lazy loading can work with Google as long as the setup allows Googlebot to load images during rendering. Testing with the mobile compatibility tool can be helpful to ver...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are 404 URLs really harmless for SEO?
It is acceptable for a directory in a URL structure to lack its own content and lead to a 404 page. This does not affect the final page's performance in terms of SEO....
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it really necessary to optimize canonical URLs to enhance crawl budget?
To improve crawling efficiency, ensure that canonical URLs are correctly defined, including through redirects, canonical tags, and updating sitemaps to avoid duplication....
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really put all your outgoing links to nofollow to protect your PageRank?
Putting the nofollow attribute on all outgoing links does not improve a page's ranking. Google encourages the use of regular links to enhance your site's connection to the rest of the web and its over...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really extract important text from alt tags to boost your SEO?
John Mueller recommends that important text be visible in the body of the web page rather than only in image alt tags. This ensures better compatibility with rich snippets and good SEO....
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really filter your pages for duplicate content like you think?
Google views identical blocks of text on different pages as duplicate content. For searches that include this content, Google will select a few sites to display while filtering those with identical te...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does mobile-first indexing really penalize your desktop version?
With mobile-first indexing, Google will index the content seen on the mobile version of the site. If some information is only available on the desktop version, it will be included in the indexing, pot...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does creating valuable content really attract organic traffic?
Google highlights the importance of creating high-quality content that provides significant value to users. It is crucial for publishers to verify the type of content they wish to provide on the searc...
Jul 26, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why is Google launching an official channel to answer SEO questions?
Google is launching a new series of videos titled 'Ask Google Webmasters' to answer webmasters' questions about Google Search, our tools, and our related documentation and policies. Users can submit t...
Jul 25, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are alt texts really as flexible as Google claims?
Google recommends using descriptive and contextually relevant alt texts for images, without forcing irrelevant keywords, for accessibility and image indexing....
Jul 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does mobile performance really affect SEO rankings?
The actual performance of users in terms of loading speed influences mobile rankings, but you can address these issues with CDNs....
Jul 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does URL structure really influence ranking in Google?
The structure of URLs (flat or with folders) does not affect page rankings in Google. Choose a structure that facilitates long-term management....
Jul 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available
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