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
★★★ How can you effectively test and optimize your AMP pages to boost their visibility in search results?
It is advisable to check AMP pages using testing tools and to examine how they appear in search results once indexed. This includes testing the carousel if structured article data is used....
Aug 23, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you ditch the official WordPress AMP plugin for a custom solution?
For WordPress sites using AMP plugins, it makes sense to test different options to complement the features that the official plugin may not offer. This may involve modifying the open-source plugin to ...
Aug 23, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can chained AMP canonical links make your pages disappear from Google’s index?
Google will likely avoid following chained canonical links between the pages of an AMP post and the main page of the template. This can lead to the loss of the AMP page in indexing. It is recommended ...
Aug 23, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are identical property listings really indexed as unique by Google?
Real estate result pages showing similar properties are indexed as unique as long as they do not contain identical text blocks. Focus on category pages....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot really index all the JavaScript content on your pages?
Googlebot will attempt to index the content rendered by JavaScript if it is visible on the page. Unseen content is not taken into account for indexing....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is it true that Google treats your HTML5 pages differently?
Google's bots don't do anything special for HTML5. They handle HTML as it is rendered and use the context of the pages for relevance....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does AMP really boost your Google ranking?
Currently, AMPs do not provide any specific ranking boost. They are rather considered mobile-friendly by default, which can indirectly influence mobile ranking....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why does Google prioritize a site's overall value instead of isolated technical factors?
Google advises focusing on the overall value of your site rather than individual technical aspects. Providing high user value is essential....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really block indexing of internal search results?
Google recommends not indexing internal search results pages because they can generate duplicate content and complicate site crawling....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really block the indexing of AI-generated content?
Google recommends not to automatically index generated content. AI-based content can be used for users but should not be indexed for search....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Do cache headers really affect search engine optimization?
Cache headers mainly impact user experience. They can slightly influence how Google processes embedded content, but not directly impact the indexing of HTML pages....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can a penalized domain name regain its positions on Google?
There is no 'permanent' penalty against a domain name. Past issues can be resolved, and rankings can improve over time....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How long should you wait for Google to acknowledge your quality improvements?
There is no specific timeframe for Google to acknowledge a site's quality improvements. Reindexing and effects on ranking can vary based on crawl frequency and user-generated alerts....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do Quality Raters really influence your positions in Google?
Quality evaluators help assess algorithmic improvements, but their ratings do not directly or immediately affect specific website rankings....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do deprecated HTML tags really affect your Google ranking?
Google does not consider HTML validation as a ranking factor. The use of deprecated HTML tags does not affect SEO ranking....
Aug 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is duplicate content really a problem for your SEO?
Duplicate content is primarily viewed as a technical problem by Google, with no direct penalties on sites. Google aims to identify and merge similar content to display only one in the search results....
Aug 11, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really apply nofollow to all links from paid membership spaces?
Links from services that require paid membership should have the nofollow attribute to indicate to Google that they are purchased and must not pass PageRank....
Aug 11, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How does Google really decide which URL to index when multiple versions of the same page exist?
If the same page is available through multiple URLs, several signals such as redirects, canonical tags, and the use of sitemaps can help Google choose a preferred URL to index....
Aug 11, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it really necessary to duplicate all desktop content on mobile to achieve good rankings?
Even though Google uses the desktop version for its main crawling and indexing, it recommends that a site's mobile version provides content equivalent to that of the desktop to ensure a good user expe...
Aug 11, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How can you prevent Google from replacing your sitelink search box with a simple site: query?
For Google to use a sitelink search box on your pages, you must specify the correct markup. If it is not detected properly or legibly, Google will instead use a site-specific query in standard search ...
Aug 11, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.