John Mueller

★★★ Should Every Page Really Have a Canonical Tag, Even When It Points to Itself?

John Mueller indicated during a webmaster hangout that while the "self canonical" technique (implementing a "canonical" tag pointing to the page's own URL to avoid DUST) wasn't entirely mandatory, it ...

Jun 25, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you still buy expired domains to boost your SEO?

Buying expired domains to redirect to your site is an outdated technique often ignored by Google and could trigger algorithmic filters for manipulating results....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really use nofollow on all guest blogging links?

The use of nofollow links is recommended when creating guest publication content to avoid link manipulation issues. This contributes to brand visibility without negatively impacting link evaluations....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that the Classic Search Console is about to vanish?

Ultimately, the classic version of Search Console will be shut down, potentially by the end of the year. The features you use will be transferred to the new version, but some aspects may be reconsider...

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Could a mistake in your XML sitemap block the indexing of your entire site?

If a URL in an XML sitemap file has an error, only that URL is ignored; the rest of the file is processed if it is technically valid....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really use hreflang for untranslated pages?

It is possible to use hreflang with untranslated pages by using canonical content. However, it is generally better to aim for a reduced number of URLs to avoid diluting the authority of your content....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you display author biographies directly in articles for better SEO?

Google does not provide explicit guidelines on the necessity of showing E-A-T information and author biographies directly in an article, but it is important to present them in a way that highlights th...

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does duplicated content really hurt if you add value around it?

In the case of duplicated content, such as song lyrics, Google recognizes duplication but considers additional content to determine the ranking in search results....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really ignore inline SVGs for Google Images?

Google does not index inline SVGs for Google Images. It is advisable to think about how users visually search for your content and not to focus on indexing every graphic element....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can hreflang really be used to connect different brands across countries?

When you rebrand in different countries, you can use hreflang to link pages of different brands and languages to show the correct version to the right users based on their location....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are Sitemaps Truly Essential or Just a Safety Net?

It is advisable to use both sitemap files and internal links to facilitate Google's crawling, but not to rely solely on sitemaps. Internal links aid in the discovery of pages by Google....

Jun 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really vary keyword spellings to avoid keyword stuffing penalties?

Varying spellings or minor variations of a keyword on a page is not considered spam. However, avoid overexploitation with excessive repetitions, as this may be identified as keyword stuffing by Google...

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does hreflang without differentiated content really prevent Google from displaying distinct versions?

For multilingual sites, hreflang markup helps indicate to Google the appropriate language or regional version to display. However, hreflang without real content variation does not guarantee the displa...

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really use different ranking criteria for mobile and desktop?

Google may use different ranking signals for mobile searches compared to desktop searches, such as mobile page loading time, which can influence positioning differently depending on the platform....

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you duplicate your images for every language version of your site?

It's preferable not to clone images for each language version, but rather to use appropriate tags and contexts for each language. This avoids duplication and allows consolidating the relevance of the ...

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really recycle the same URL for your annual seasonal content?

Use a single URL for articles that return every year, such as holiday articles. Updating these URLs instead of creating new ones for each year strengthens the accumulated SEO value of the page....

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do unique contents really provide a measurable SEO advantage?

Creating unique product descriptions and original images gives an advantage in terms of SEO, as it allows you to stand out in search results compared to sites using duplicated content provided by supp...

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is hidden content in mobile menus really considered for SEO?

Content that can be revealed through user interaction like a click is included in indexing. However, avoid permanently hiding content that would never be visible to users....

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can noindex pages still pass PageRank and enhance crawling?

Noindex-marked pages that contain relevant links can still contribute to content discovery. Googlebot will continue to follow links if they are regularly found through internal links....

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you index all product variations or canonize them to the main page?

For product pages with variations in color or price, you can either use the canonical tag to point to the main product or allow each variation to be indexed. Choosing to index fewer URLs allows for pa...

Jun 13, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available