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
★★ Is PageSpeed Insights really enough to optimize your Core Web Vitals?
The PageSpeed Insights tool, which includes Lighthouse tests, allows for the evaluation of page performance on different devices and optimizing accordingly....
Nov 16, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Internal Linking Truly Enough to Get Your Pages Indexed?
To improve indexing, ensure that your pages have quality content and are well-linked internally to signal their importance....
Nov 16, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does loading speed really affect Google rankings?
Loading speed is a minor ranking factor but has a significant impact on user experience, influencing browsing behavior and conversions....
Nov 16, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do 404 errors really hurt your SEO rankings?
404 errors do not penalize a site's ranking. They technically indicate that the site is properly managing nonexistent pages by returning the correct error code....
Nov 16, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does internal duplicate content really harm your SEO ranking?
Google does not penalize for duplicate content within the same site, like product reviews or repeated legal mentions across different pages....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really redirect an old category to just one of the new URLs?
When a category URL is split into several, the old URL can be redirected to one of the new URLs, and the new pages should be linked normally within the site structure....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Do Knowledge Graph carousels really affect your SEO ranking?
The carousels displayed in the Knowledge Graph for a site are algorithmically generated and do not affect the overall ranking of a site in normal search results....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can 503 errors really make your website vanish from Google?
Server responses of 503 slow down Google's crawling, and if persistent, make Google consider the page as unavailable and removes it from the results....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can you really paginate differently between mobile and desktop without risking SEO?
Differences in pagination between mobile and desktop versions do not pose a problem if the content is accessible on the mobile version and does not hinder content discovery....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can mobile-first indexing hide your poorly linked product pages?
With mobile-first indexing, Google will only use the mobile version to index a site, which can affect poorly linked product pages....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can you use the same customer reviews across multiple pages without facing SEO penalties?
Google allows the use of customer review texts on multiple pages, but the reviews must precisely represent the main topic of each page for structured data....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google rely on external scores to evaluate a website's reputation?
Google probably does not use scores like those from the Better Business Bureau in its algorithmic evaluations, as they are not available internationally....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really limit the number of H1 and H2 tags on a page?
Google is flexible regarding the use of H1, H2 title tags, etc. There is no maximum number of H tags per page....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do language selection interstitials really block Google’s crawl?
Google recommends using banners instead of interstitials for language selection to allow Googlebot to access the page content....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can Google ignore your logo markup for the Knowledge Graph?
For the Knowledge Graph, Google might choose different logos than those specified in the markup if other sources appear more reliable....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does mobile-first indexing really apply to all ranking criteria, including above-the-fold?
Google is trying to use the mobile version as much as possible for its algorithms, including for assessing what appears above the fold....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does the alt text of images really boost your SEO?
The text in the alt attribute of images helps Google understand the page, although it plays a more significant role in image search than in overall ranking....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can a domain with a questionable past truly regain Google's trust?
Websites with a problematic history, such as those that have hosted piracy content, can see their reputation improve over time if the current use of the domain is appropriate....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you simplify your site's international architecture to boost its SEO?
It is not recommended to add complex site structures if it is not necessary, as they complicate maintenance and could divide the site's visibility....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does switching your TLD really affect your organic visibility?
Changing TLDs (e.g., from .travel to .com) with a clean redirect should not significantly affect visibility, provided the migration is well executed....
Nov 13, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
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