John Mueller

★★★ Do internal cross-linking issues really affect SEO?

John Mueller states that cross-linking between pages within the same site is normal and does not pose any SEO issues....

Feb 05, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do 302 redirects actually pass PageRank just like 301s?

301 and 302 redirects are treated differently by Google: 301s pass SEO signals to the destination while 302s are interpreted as temporary, but Google may treat them as 301s if they persist....

Feb 05, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really monitor and disavow all your spammy inbound links?

It is not necessary to constantly monitor spammy inbound links as Google is generally good at ignoring them. However, if you have purchased links in the past, it is recommended to clean up that activi...

Feb 05, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it really necessary to update your sitemap with every new page?

If Google discovers and indexes new pages through normal crawling, it is not crucial to update the sitemap file, although it does help to recognize changes more quickly....

Feb 05, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google crawl your pages without indexing them?

John Mueller explains that not all crawled pages are automatically indexed by Google. The algorithms determine whether energy should be focused on certain pages based on their relevance and potential ...

Feb 05, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you use the JSON-LD expiration date to hide absent videos from Google search results?

John Mueller advises using the expiration date in JSON-LD structured data to indicate to Google not to include certain video content in search results, particularly when a page does not actually conta...

Feb 05, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do You Really Need to Add the Schema Organization Tag on Every Single Page of Your Site?

John Mueller recently explained during a hangout that, while a website should contain a properly filled "Organization" structured data tag (Schema.org), it's not necessary to include it on every page....

Feb 04, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ How Will Google Images' Major Upcoming Changes Transform Your Visual SEO Strategy?

John Mueller recently indicated that the Google Images search engine will soon undergo major changes, involving a new way of viewing image optimization. Without saying more. We should therefore expect...

Jan 28, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Could 50% of Websites Lose Traffic Due to Mobile First Indexing?

We know that currently, 50% of Google SERP results come from the Mobile First Index. John Mueller recently indicated that, apparently, the "simple" cases have been processed so far. But the remaining ...

Jan 28, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really use the canonical tag across subdomains for similar pages?

If you have very similar pages across different subdomains, it is advisable to use the canonical tag to designate the main version of the pages. This helps consolidate content and avoid dilution betwe...

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does the order of URLs and priority in XML sitemaps really affect Google's crawling?

The order of URLs in an XML sitemap does not matter to Google. Likewise, the priority setting for sitemaps is not used by Google to determine crawl frequency....

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really avoid robots.txt to manage facets and filters on e-commerce sites?

For large e-commerce sites with many filters and facets, it's recommended to use attributes like noindex or canonical rather than employing robots.txt to guide Google on which pages to index....

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can Google's quality guidelines really guide the algorithm without precise technical metrics?

Google's quality guidelines aim to guide the algorithm towards a better understanding of content quality. Although there are no precise technical measures to implement, following these guidelines cont...

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is HTTPS really a key ranking factor for SEO?

HTTPS is considered a ranking factor described as a soft signal. While it can slightly impact ranking, it isn't a decisive factor, and well-established content on HTTP can still rank well....

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does mobile-first indexing really enhance your Google ranking?

Transitioning to mobile-first indexing does not provide a ranking bonus. Google moves sites to mobile-first indexing when it believes they are ready. There is no direct ranking reward for this change....

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does blocking Googlebot really kill your ranking right away?

If a site blocks Googlebot, Google will slow down its crawling but will retain the content already indexed. However, if significant modifications are made to the site, it will take longer for Google t...

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really use the disavow file to clean up your link profile?

The disavow file is primarily intended for sites that have a manual action for artificial links. For most sites with a normal mix of links, it is generally not necessary to use disavow. Google is capa...

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How can you accurately test the SEO impact of changing title tags?

When you make changes to your website, such as modifying title tags, it’s important to test the impact of those changes. However, there is no absolute method for testing how this will affect rankings,...

Jan 23, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Really Avoid Changing Your Image URLs to Preserve Their Rankings?

John Mueller also indicated during a hangout that changing an image's URL can affect its ranking in the dedicated Google Images tool, particularly on sites receiving a lot of traffic from this search ...

Jan 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can Quality Content Compensate for Poor Technical SEO?

John Mueller reminded us during a hangout that a technically flawless site (tags, UX, loading time, etc.) cannot rank on Google if it doesn't offer quality content above all else....

Jan 14, 2019 ⚡ Analysis available