John Mueller

★★ Are Q&A sites really facing Google algorithmic penalties?

Algorithmic changes can affect question-and-answer type sites. Sometimes this can be due to better relevance of other sites for the same queries, and not necessarily due to a direct penalty....

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can a domain with a dubious history really win back Google's favor?

A problematic age of the domain, such as a previous use for low-quality content, can have a lasting impact on ranking. However, with quality content and sound SEO practices, the site should be able to...

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can blocking CSS in robots.txt sabotage your mobile-friendliness?

Ensure that CSS files are not blocked by the robots.txt file to allow Google to confirm the 'mobile-friendly' nature of your pages. If the mobile compatibility test indicates that everything is fine, ...

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do multiple slashes in your URLs really sabotage your crawl budget?

The repeated use of slashes in URLs can lead to inefficient crawling issues. To mitigate this, it is recommended to use canonical link tags....

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do 302 redirects really convey the relevance of the target content?

When a page is redirected via a 302 redirect, Google uses the content of the target page to evaluate its relevance in search results, rather than the original content of the redirected page....

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can you really control the sitelinks that appear in Google?

It is not really possible to directly control the sitelinks that appear in search results. These links are automatically determined by Google and are generally based on the structure of the site and i...

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can infographics really replace text content for SEO?

Adding infographics can enrich your pages for users, but they will not replace the need for high-quality text on your site, especially if all the text is embedded within an image....

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does duplicate content across language versions really hurt your international SEO?

Google can identify duplicate content on multilingual pages, but that does not penalize the site. Google will simply display one of the variants in search results....

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How can you permanently remove a test site from Google's results without delay?

To quickly remove a test site from search results, you can use the removal tool in Search Console. Additionally, ensure that Googlebot cannot access the site through means such as server authenticatio...

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does copied and scraped content really threaten your SEO?

Google is generally capable of ignoring copied or scraped content. However, if you notice that your content is duplicated elsewhere, it may be useful to disavow those links using the disavow tool....

May 17, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do RSS feeds really replace XML sitemaps for indexing in Google News?

Google uses RSS feeds for indexing in certain Google News products. This can be confusing for those who traditionally use XML sitemaps....

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does page speed really boost your Google ranking?

While page speed is a factor, it is not the only criterion for ranking. Sites can seriously slow down due to heavy advertising content, thereby affecting user experience and possibly indirectly influe...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really disavow spammy links detected in Search Console?

It is generally unnecessary to take measures against spammy links that appear in Search Console. However, if you want to ensure that they have no impact, you can use the disavow file, ideally based on...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can link signals really influence Google's canonicalization?

The factors Google evaluates to determine the canonical page include internal links, external links, and HTTPS signals. It is important that these signals are consistent for Google to choose the page ...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do Google Spam Reports Really Make a Difference?

Spam reports can be submitted to Google via a dedicated form, and although correcting these issues may be slow, Google regularly evaluates these reports to improve its algorithms and remove notorious ...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you isolate your forums on a subdomain to protect your SEO?

Forums can be integrated into a website if the content is well moderated, but in cases where comprehensive quality control is difficult, it might be wise to place them on a subdomain or separate domai...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are poorly implemented canonicals really sabotaging your link equity?

Google tries to follow canonical tags when implemented, but this can vary depending on the similarity of the pages. Non-indexed pages with canonicals may potentially lose links or not be maintained in...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google sometimes ignore your canonical tags?

Google may not always follow the provided canonical tag if there are conflicting signals, such as internal and external links pointing to different pages, which can lead Google to assign a different p...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does the canonical tag really centralize PageRank as we think it does?

Using a canonical tag to consolidate similar content can help centralize PageRank on one page. However, if Google does not regard the designated page as the most relevant, it may choose another URL as...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ How long does it take for Google to reassess the quality of a site after an update?

Significant updates to a site can be recognized quickly by Google, but for changes in overall quality, this can take several months. Major algorithm updates are not necessary for Google to reassess an...

May 16, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available