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
★★ Does your search history really skew your SEO analysis?
A user's search history can influence a certain level of personalization in search results on Google....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does duplicate content really lead to a Google penalty?
Duplicate content across different sites doesn't incur a manual penalty but can lead to an algorithmic selection of the most relevant version to display....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does shared hosting really harm your site's SEO?
Google understands shared hosting environments. A site hosted with thousands of others should not suffer, unless it is among clearly spammy sites....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Do mobile interstitials really hurt your Google ranking?
Interstitial ads are not explicitly against Google's quality guidelines, but they are considered unpleasant on mobile....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you block pages based on the referrer or use server authentication?
If you are blocking access to pages based on the referrer, consider noindexing them. For confidential content, server-side authentication is recommended....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is it really enough to just add the date in WordPress content for Google to recognize an update?
To update an article in WordPress, simply adding the date in the content should be enough for Google to recognize the update date....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you use rel=canonical between subdomains and the main domain to manage duplicate content?
Using rel=canonical to link duplicate content from a subdomain to the main domain does not create any added value in SEO. The canonicality indicates that pages should be treated as one....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are automated dofollow links to your own content finally permitted by Google?
It is acceptable to use dofollow links to your own blog articles, even if they are generated automatically, to help outline the structure of your site....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ What’s going on when Google suddenly uncovers thousands of new URLs on your site?
If you receive a message indicating a high number of newly discovered URLs, it may be due to the presence of numerous URL parameters or 'noindex' pages. Ensure that only the desired URL parameters for...
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really roll out updates in real time?
Some parts of ranking updates do not happen in real time. There may be regular updates that are not immediately apparent, and this can vary depending on the tools that track these changes....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that Panda is now part of Google's core ranking system?
There has been a core update, and a part of the Panda algorithm is integrated into the core ranking, although the exact date of integration is not specified....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is rel=canonical really enough to manage A/B testing in SEO?
During A/B testing, if one version of the page is essentially equivalent to the homepage, you can use rel=canonical to direct search engines to the main URL....
Jan 12, 2016 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do JavaScript links really pass PageRank like traditional HTML links?
Internal links generated by JavaScript that load into the DOM are treated as normal links by Google and pass PageRank unless specific interactions (like hover) are needed to reveal them....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ When Relaunching Your Site, Should You Really Prefer 301 Redirects Over Canonical Tags?
In cases of duplicate content due to a relaunch, using a 301 redirect is preferable if you want to permanently move the URLs. Use a canonical tag when redirecting the URLs is not possible....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really index Flash content seamlessly?
Google can extract content from Flash files and index it with the corresponding page, but having a unique description for these files aids in ranking....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Will Google penalize mobile-friendly sites that are too slow?
With the increase in mobile traffic, having a fast mobile site is crucial. Google might reassess this criterion for sites considered mobile-friendly if they remain slow and unpleasant to use....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you upload two disavow files during an HTTPS migration?
In the event of an HTTPS migration, upload your disavow file for both the HTTP and HTTPS versions to ensure that all problematic links are correctly disavowed during the transition....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can revamping your template ruin your Google ranking?
Changing a site's template can affect its ranking and traffic. A good design can be beneficial, but modifications that break the structure or internal links can have negative effects....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does HTTP/2 really boost your site's SEO?
The adoption of HTTP/2 by servers will occur seamlessly, without special intervention from webmasters. This could enhance site speed, although it is not an individual ranking factor according to Googl...
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you remove the meta keywords tag from your pages?
For web search, Google does not use the meta keywords tag as a ranking signal. However, it might be used by Google News or for internal purposes by webmasters....
Dec 29, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
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