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.
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🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Do geographic redirects harm your site's indexing?
Google will treat the redirected version of content as the main version if a geographic redirect is in place. It is recommended not to use geographic redirects but rather banners to direct users to th...
Mar 09, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ How does Search Console really refresh your performance data?
Search Console data is updated continuously and progressively, not all at once every day....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it really necessary to create a separate sitemap for each subdomain?
Each subdomain should have its own sitemap, and it is recommended to link these sitemaps via the robots.txt file for proper indexing....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can a slow server really hinder Google’s crawling of your site?
Slow server response times can reduce Google's crawl frequency to prevent overwhelming servers....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do meta descriptions really boost CTR even if Google rewrites them?
Meta description tags still help improve CTR in search results, but Google may choose to display a different snippet based on the user's query....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are AMP pages really a mobile ranking booster for SEO?
Google considers mobile page performance, including AMP, in the ranking of search results. A well-optimized AMP page is important for mobile SEO....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does HTTP/2 really boost your Google ranking?
HTTP/2 will not provide a direct ranking boost, but it can improve loading speed. This indirect improvement can positively influence SEO....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really avoid using noindex in your A/B tests to prevent accidental deindexing?
When conducting A/B tests, avoid using noindex on URLs shared by both versions to prevent accidental deindexing....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really speed up its crawl after massive redirects?
Google adjusts its crawl speed when it detects significant structural changes, such as massive redirects, without requiring special practices for old URLs....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you choose 301, 404, or 410 redirects during a relaunch to protect your SEO?
During a relaunch, it is advisable to use 301 redirects to preserve SEO signals. The differences between 404 and 410 are minor, but 410 can be slightly faster for deindexing....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really deindex your internal search pages?
Mueller suggests not indexing internal search results to avoid technical issues. Using 'rel=canonical' is recommended for managing URLs with parameters....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it really necessary to duplicate all your content on AMP pages?
John Mueller recommends that the AMP version of a website be as complete as the standard version. Important images and videos must be present to provide an equivalent user experience....
Mar 08, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How can you accurately measure the number of indexed pages on your site?
There are three main ways to find out the number of indexed pages: by using a site: query in Google Search, by checking the indexing status report in Search Console, and by reviewing the number of ind...
Mar 07, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why does the number of indexed pages vary between Google.com and Search Console?
The number of indexed pages seen on Google.com may differ from that in Search Console due to different calculation methods. Results on Google Search are rough estimates optimized for speed, not for ac...
Mar 07, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Hreflang: How does Google really choose the right language version?
For a multilingual site, it is possible to specify different pages in hreflang for each language-country combination, thus providing the correct version to users in their specific languages....
Mar 06, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can the backlinks you create yourself really penalize you?
Creating backlinks by yourself goes against Google's guidelines. Links should be natural, meaning acquired without direct intervention....
Mar 06, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does hreflang really prevent multilingual content duplication in Google's index?
For pages in different languages containing the same content, correctly using hreflang tags helps to display each targeted version to the right audience without duplication in the index....
Mar 06, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really submit your URLs to Google manually?
Manually submitting URLs via Google Search Console is generally unnecessary for most sites, except in cases of urgent updates. Instead, use sitemaps and a clear internal linking structure....
Mar 06, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does page design truly affect your Google ranking?
Page design is important mainly for user experience and not directly for SEO. Google, however, examines mobile-friendliness and ad density on the page....
Mar 06, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do CCTLDs really lock your site to a single country?
Choosing a CCTLD (Country Code Top-Level Domain) leads to automatic geographic targeting for that country. This may not serve the interests of a site seeking a global audience....
Mar 06, 2018 ⚡ Analysis available
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