John Mueller

★★ Do external signals still matter for local SEO?

Local rankings can be influenced by several factors, including the content of the Google My Business listing and the associated website, but there are no guaranteed shortcuts to achieving visibility....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does local relevance always overshadow international results on Google?

Google displays results based on local relevance when possible. If local content is unavailable or does not match the user's intent, international results may be shown....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are toxic links really hurting your SEO or is Google simply ignoring them?

Google tries to neutralize the effects of non-compliant link building practices by ignoring problematic links. This means that these links are not taken into account for ranking....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really align structured data and visible content to avoid penalties?

If structured data is hidden or does not match the content visible on the page, it can be seen as problematic. Structured data must accurately reflect the content visible to the user....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really remove your URL variants to boost your SEO?

Google recommends reducing the number of URL variants and focusing on those that offer unique and meaningful value to users. Avoid automated combinations that generate thin content....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should we replace rel=prev/next with the canonical tag for pagination?

Using rel=prev/next tags with different URL parameters is possible, but it is recommended to simplify and use a canonical tag pointing to the main URL to reduce duplicates....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How can you access keyword data in the new Search Console?

In the new Search Console, the Search Analytics section still allows you to see the keywords for which your pages rank, similar to the old version. However, you must have a verified site to view this ...

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google never guarantee ranking retention during a site migration?

When migrating part of your site to a new domain, Google must assess the pages individually, meaning you can't guarantee the same ranking as before. Each part will be treated independently....

Mar 19, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why Does Google Keep Crawling 404 Error Pages Even After Months?

John Mueller indicated on Twitter that if a URL does not correspond to a web page on a site, a 404 - Not found code (or 410: Gone) provides a logical signal to Google. A 500 code (Internal Server Erro...

Mar 18, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Really Migrate Your Dedicated Mobile Site to Responsive Design in 2024?

John Mueller explained on a Reddit forum that website publishers with a dedicated mobile site should really consider migrating to a Responsive site (1 URL, 1 HTML code) in the future. And this is not ...

Mar 18, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Really Translate Image ALT Attributes on Multilingual Websites?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that a website with multiple international versions but using the same images each time could use the same files for these images while translating their ALT attribut...

Mar 11, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Report Suspicious Practices Even When You're Not Sure They're Actually Spam?

John Mueller indicated on Twitter that there's no problem with submitting a spam report about practices implemented by a website when the author of the spam report isn't really sure whether it constit...

Mar 11, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should You Really Add Text Content Below Product Listings in E-commerce?

John Mueller explained during a hangout that adding a block of text below product listing pages on an e-commerce site, while only displaying the category name in H1 above the list, was not necessarily...

Mar 11, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is responsive design truly essential for mobile-first indexing?

With mobile-first indexing, it's advisable to switch to a responsive design that uses the same URLs for desktop and mobile versions to simplify management and avoid unnecessary complexities....

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do redirects really transfer penalties for thin content to the destination page?

When a page is redirected due to thin content, negative effects are not transferred to the new page. What matters is the final, visible content on the landing page....

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is anchor text still a major ranking factor for Google?

Anchor text is still an important ranking factor for Google. It provides context about the link. Using descriptive anchor text, especially for internal links, helps Google understand the content of th...

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it true that hidden content under tabs is really indexed by Google?

Hidden content under tabs is not an issue for Google indexing. However, if it is critical for users to see it in order to take action on your site, it can pose a conversion problem....

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How can you transform an affiliate site to escape Google's duplicate content filter?

Duplicate content is a common problem for affiliate sites, often due to the direct reuse of product feeds. To avoid being considered low-value content, sites must offer unique and relevant content....

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google favor JSON-LD for structured data?

Google prefers using the JSON-LD format for structured data markup and it is typically the first format supported when adding new types of structured data....

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does mobile loading speed really guarantee a good SEO ranking?

Google considers page loading speed an important ranking factor, but it’s not the only one. This means that slower pages can still rank well if other factors are positive, like content....

Mar 08, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available