John Mueller

★★★ Should you really use a 302 instead of a 301 for geo-targeted redirects?

For IP-based redirects, using a 302 redirect is preferred over a 301 to avoid unwanted caching by browsers or systems....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are images and videos in Google News really hurting your SEO?

The presence of videos or images as the article's main image does not have a direct negative effect on ranking in Google News, but it depends on the content....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really switch your site to HTTPS all at once to prevent traffic loss?

When switching to HTTPS, it is better to make the changes in one step to minimize ranking fluctuations....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can you list the same URL in multiple sitemaps without any risk?

Having an URL in multiple sitemaps is not an issue, but conflicting information such as dates can confuse Google....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do canonical tags really suffice for managing product variants in SEO?

While canonical tags are recommended for product variants, they do not ensure that Google will display the main page in its results. The structure and content of the page influence this choice....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really abandon JavaScript links for SEO?

Google recognizes and tracks URLs defined in JavaScript if they automatically lead to a page location change, but having parallel standard HTML links is recommended for better SEO assurance....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that hidden content accessible after interaction is really indexed with a mobile-first approach?

With mobile-first indexing, content that is invisible at the initial loading of a page but becomes visible after interactions is taken into account just as much as immediately visible content....

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is Mobile-First Indexing Hiding Your Desktop Content from Search Results?

When a site switches to mobile-first indexing, only the mobile version of the site is used for indexing. If significant differences exist between the mobile and desktop content, it might lead to probl...

May 03, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does the HTTPS SEO Boost Really Work the Same for Every Website?

John Mueller indicated on Twitter that the "SEO boost" given when a website switches to HTTPS does not depend on the type of site or its topic, but is identical for all information sources......

May 02, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★ Should You Avoid Internal Links to Noindex Pages?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that there's no problem if a website creates many internal links to pages that are deindexed from the search engine......

May 02, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Where Should Pagination Tags Be Placed for Google to Recognize Them?

John Mueller reminded that pagination tags (rel=next and rel=prev) must be in the "Head" section of the source code for paginated content. If these indications are found in links (A tag) and therefore...

May 02, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Split Your Content Across Multiple Pages to Improve Google Indexing?

John Mueller indicated during a hangout that it was not a good strategy to split content across multiple pages solely to increase the number of pages indexed by Google because, by doing so, you also r...

May 02, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can You Really Harm a Competitor's Site with External Canonical Tags?

A method of performing negative SEO based on "canonical" tags issued from low-quality sites has resurfaced recently following an article on this subject. John Mueller has, for his part, indicated that...

May 02, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really include Googlebot in your A/B tests, or could it lead to an SEO penalty?

When conducting A/B tests, do not exclude Googlebot from the different content variants. Ensure that Googlebot is an integral part of the test....

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ What speed metric does Google really prioritize for ranking?

Google uses a variety of metrics to evaluate page speed, including real user data and calculations from various tools. No single metric is favored....

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really separate family and non-family content by URL for SafeSearch?

It is advisable to separate family content from non-family content by using distinct URL structures (e.g., subdomains) to facilitate Google’s SafeSearch algorithms....

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really use rel="next" and rel="prev" for pagination?

For paginated pages, use rel="next" and rel="prev" to indicate the order. Ensuring that content URLs are stable is helpful for Google indexing when paginated pages contain content that frequently chan...

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Could Googlebot completely miss entire pages due to geolocation?

Googlebot mainly accesses content from the United States, so if you display location-based content for users, Googlebot may not see all the location-based variations....

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really optimize the length of meta descriptions for Google?

There is no fixed recommended length for meta descriptions. Their lengths can vary and adapt to the search context and the device used....

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do 301 redirects really protect your visibility after changing a URL?

Temporary fluctuations may occur after a change in URL structure, even if everything is correctly redirected via 301s. Visibility should eventually stabilize, generally without long-term negative impa...

May 01, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available