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

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🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Why does redirecting your images to third-party pages destroy their SEO value?
Google does not transfer signals from a redirected image to a different page. URL redirects of images to unrelated pages lose their display context....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you retranslate your backlink anchors when changing your site's main language?
Changing the main language of a site can render backlinks less effective if the anchor text is not adjusted to match the new language....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it really necessary to reindex the entire site after a URL change?
Any URL change, such as removing .html extensions, necessitates a full site reindexing by Google....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can the unavailable_after tag really control how long your content remains in Google's index?
The unavailable_after tag can be used for expired content. Google removes this content from the index on the specified date....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does site structure really enhance its indexing?
A good site structure makes crawling and indexing easier, but it doesn’t guarantee high rankings; overall content quality remains essential....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why do partial site migrations lead to longer SEO fluctuations compared to complete migrations?
Partial site migrations can cause longer fluctuations in search results compared to complete migrations....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can bad backlinks really sink your Google ranking?
Rankings can still be good even if low-quality links exist. Google can ignore negative signals and focus on relevant content....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can lazy loading of images hinder their indexing by Google?
If images are dynamically loaded through events, Googlebot may not see them, which can impact their indexing....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ What is a real impression in Search Console, and how does the viewport change everything?
Impressions are counted when the user has the opportunity to see the results page, but not if the page is not displayed in the viewport....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you avoid multiple H1 tags when your logo is text-based?
It is acceptable to have multiple H1 tags on a page, even if one of them surrounds a text-based logo. Google treats these cases as normal according to HTML5....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can .eu domains really target multiple countries without SEO penalties?
The .eu domains can be used for multiple geographic targets. Google recommends not to frequently change the geographic settings to avoid reindexing delays....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do image redirections to HTML pages pass on PageRank?
Google does not transfer signals from an image redirection to an HTML page. Images and HTML pages are treated differently in indexing....
Sep 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are the URL parameters set in Search Console actually ignored by Google?
URL parameters set to not change content are generally ignored during indexing, but random checks are possible to confirm that the parameter is correctly configured....
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does duplicate content really trigger a manual penalty on an e-commerce site?
If manual actions are applied for duplicate content or low-quality content issues, they should be taken seriously. However, a few duplications are usually not enough to trigger a manual action....
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are subdomains really viewed as a single site by Google?
Links between blogs and e-commerce sites owned by the same entity do not require nofollow, provided it is clear they come from the same owner. Subdomains can be treated as part of the same site for SE...
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ What makes content aggregators outperform your niche site in perceived quality?
Low-quality sites can be surpassed by content aggregators if these are perceived as offering better overall quality. Improving the site's overall quality is crucial....
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is the app/web equivalence really a no-cloaking criterion for Google?
The content displayed in an app through app indexing must be equivalent to the content displayed on the website to avoid issues such as cloaking....
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it enough to rely solely on SEO techniques to secure a top ranking?
Following technical SEO recommendations helps Google to better understand and index your content, but it does not necessarily guarantee that your site will be ranked in the top position if the content...
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is a lifted manual penalty enough to regain your Google rankings?
After a manual penalty is lifted, the site can regain its previous positions in search results once reprocessed, unless the site relied on problematic elements (such as spam links) for its initial ran...
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really redirect ALL URLs during a domain migration?
During domain migrations, it is crucial to redirect all old URLs to the new domain to properly transfer SEO signals to the new site....
Sep 05, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
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