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 it true that merging two sites through a subdirectory guarantees a simple reindexing by Google?
Merging two sites by moving one site into the subdirectory of another is acceptable. Google will treat this as a reindexing, but there may be temporary fluctuations in ranking during the familiarizati...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do multiple backlinks from the same domain really count as just one link?
Whether a backlink comes from a single page of a domain or from multiple pages, Google considers it as a single link from that domain. Quality takes precedence over the number of pages having the back...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is Google really able to crawl and index React JS like any traditional website?
Google can handle Single Page Applications built with React JS similarly to other JavaScript frameworks, as long as the pages are properly rendered and the URLs are accessible and unique....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ What’s the Real Difference Between 404 and 410 Codes for De-indexing Your Dead Pages?
Pages with a 410 code disappear slightly faster from the index than those with a 404 code, as they indicate a permanent removal. However, in most cases, this does not make a significant difference....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are JavaScript-generated URLs truly indexable by Google?
For Single Page Applications, it is essential that the URLs generated via pushState are unique and directly accessible to allow Google to index them and lead users to specific pages....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Do your site's iframes on other domains hurt your SEO?
Integrating your own site as an iframe on other affiliate sites generally does not have a negative impact. There is no particular disadvantage as long as your main site is indexed as the primary sourc...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does AMP really redistribute mobile traffic without generating more?
AMP pages are preferred by Google for users on AMP-compatible devices when they are available. This does not generate more traffic but redistributes traffic from the mobile version to the AMP version....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Could pointing all your paginated pages to page 1 with rel=canonical ruin your indexing?
In paginated sites, using the rel=canonical tag to direct all pages to the first one can hinder the indexing of detail pages if they are only accessible through these paginated pages....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does well-structured HTML really enhance SEO?
For Google, the position of text in HTML source code does not affect SEO as long as important content is clearly visible when rendered by a browser....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can you really use a single social profile for multiple multilingual sites without risking a penalty?
There is no problem using the same social media profile across different language versions of websites. Hreflang tags need to be correctly set up to ensure proper display in region-targeted search res...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do 301 redirects to HTTPS really cause traffic loss?
Google manages 301 redirects very well after migrating to HTTPS. However, like any significant change on a site, temporary traffic fluctuations may occur....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does incorporating external RSS feeds really boost your SEO?
Adding RSS feeds from external sites to your own site should be done with moderation, and the main site must always contain original content. Google does not benefit in SEO from integrating external R...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that a single domain with 100 backlinks is worth just one link?
For Google, a link from multiple sub-pages of the same domain is often treated as a single backlink. It is not the volume of links from one source that matters, but their relevance and diversity....
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Could the CMS you choose actually harm your organic SEO?
The way CMSs are used can influence how Google renders and indexes content. JavaScript frameworks like React or jQuery need to be properly configured to ensure that pages are rendered correctly by cra...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is it really better to use the 410 code instead of the 404 to speed up deindexing?
Pages that return a 410 error are removed from the index slightly faster than those returning a 404 error because 410 indicates that the page has been permanently removed. However, for an already well...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can SPAs really be indexed without valid URLs?
For Google to properly index single page applications, it is essential to use valid URLs rather than simply changing the page content through JavaScript. These URLs must be copyable and directly acces...
Mar 09, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can your site structure really save your mobile indexing?
The internal structure of a site, including internal links and structured data, is essential for mobile indexing and must be considered in both versions of the site....
Mar 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Will mobile speed finally become a Google ranking factor?
Although mobile speed is not currently a ranking factor, Google is considering integrating it in the future....
Mar 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does mobile-first indexing really inherit all desktop signals?
When transitioning to mobile-first indexing, all existing signals related to desktop must apply to the mobile site. Google ensures this transition takes place smoothly to avoid any loss in indexing....
Mar 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that Google really indexes content hidden under mobile tabs?
On mobile sites, hidden content under tabs is taken into account for indexing, unlike what happens on desktop sites....
Mar 07, 2017 ⚡ Analysis available
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