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
★★★ Does alt text on mobile really determine your visibility in Google Images?
With mobile-first indexing, it is crucial to use alt text for images on the mobile versions of pages, as it provides context for the images, especially for image search....
Jun 27, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are Titles and Meta Descriptions Still Worth Paying Attention To?
It is crucial to ensure that your titles and descriptions are useful on your pages, especially after losing additional sources of titles and descriptions such as DMOZ....
Jun 27, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does mobile-first indexing really penalize your desktop results if the mobile content is incomplete?
With mobile-first indexing, if your mobile version does not contain the same content as your desktop version, it can affect your desktop search results....
Jun 27, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can you really simplify the mobile interface without sacrificing your ranking with Mobile First Indexing?
With mobile-first indexing, it may be possible for you to simplify the user interface on mobile pages while keeping the complete data structure intact....
Jun 27, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you link your AMP pages together or redirect to the standard mobile versions?
For AMP pages, it's up to you to decide whether to link AMP pages to each other or redirect to your site's normal mobile version. The important thing is to ensure that navigation links point to someth...
Jun 27, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ What happens if your robots.txt file is blocked or inaccessible?
Blocking a robots.txt file makes Google unable to crawl other pages on the site. It is essential that the file returns a 404 response if it does not exist or valid content to allow crawling....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really create a separate URL for each product filter in e-commerce?
The organization of distinct URLs for product variations should take into account the inherent value of the pages. Combining all attributes onto a single page can enhance its position in search result...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google manually correct search results based on internal reports?
Google has an internal form for reporting inappropriate or low-quality results. Part of the improvement relies on algorithmic adjustments designed to deliver better outcomes....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is your crawl budget leaking due to unnecessary URLs?
Sites with a large number of unnecessary URLs risk wasting their crawl budget, delaying the indexing of important content such as news or promotions....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really index JavaScript, or should you be cautious about it?
Google generally renders and indexes JavaScript pages, but the process can involve a temporary lag. Use the Fetch and Render tool in Search Console to check the rendering of your pages. Any issues sho...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are site-wide links really safe for your SEO?
Site-wide links do not pose SEO problems if they are natural. Caution is advised in cases of exchanged links or when it comes to advertising without a nofollow....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Will featured snippets really expand beyond just definitions?
Although Google can't ensure a rapid increase in featured snippets, the team is working to broaden their scope, especially in other types of searches beyond just definitions....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really merge HTTP and HTTPS into a single canonical URL?
When HTTP and HTTPS point to the same content, Google tends to merge them into a unique canonical URL, ensuring that all links contribute to the ranking of that version. However, it is recommended to ...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Relative or absolute internal links: Do they really affect SEO?
Internal links can be either relative or absolute without affecting SEO. Absolute links are sometimes generated by CMS, but relative links facilitate development testing....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are Dropdown Menus Actually Crawled Like Any Other Internal Link?
Google treats links in dropdown menus like any other internal links as long as they are present in the HTML when the page is loaded. Make sure these links do not depend on a JavaScript request to appe...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it really necessary to optimize your meta descriptions if Google rewrites them?
Google uses the meta description whenever possible but modifies it based on the user's query. Meta descriptions should be complete and representative of the content to assist with relevance in search ...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is JavaScript really blowing your crawl budget?
The crawl budget is measured by requests made to the server, including JavaScript, CSS, and image files. Google uses an aggressive cache to minimize the impact on the server, but URL versioning can he...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can you really combine rel=next/prev and noindex without sacrificing your crawl budget?
It is possible to use the combination of rel=next/prev and noindex for subsequent pages. However, noindex pages will no longer appear in search results, which may be acceptable if other pages are inte...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are rich cards truly deployed equally across all countries?
Rich cards are gradually being implemented in various countries. The availability of types of structured data may vary by region, as some features require an incremental introduction to ensure a quali...
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really index JavaScript just like any HTML page?
Google indexes and renders JavaScript pages like any other page. It's advisable to use the Fetch and Render tool in Search Console to verify their indexing....
Jun 26, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
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