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John Mueller

Search Advocate at Google
8500 statements Period : 2012 - 2026
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.
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★★★ Do you really need a DMOZ or Wikipedia link to be recognized as a brand?
It is not necessary to have a link from DMOZ or Wikipedia to be recognized as a brand by Google....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really adjust its ranking criteria based on countries?
Google applies similar ranking criteria globally, without specific adjustments for countries, although competition may vary....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do legal pages (T&Cs, privacy policy) really influence your SEO?
Google does not consider pages such as terms of service or privacy policies for ranking, although this may indirectly affect user experience....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why is URL consistency truly a top-ranking signal?
Be consistent in the use of URLs and signals, particularly rel canonicals, to avoid sending conflicting signals to search engines....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really use noindex, follow on pagination pages?
Using noindex with follow on pagination pages removes these pages from the index but still allows links to discover detailed content....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really ditch 'View All' pages to improve indexing?
For sites with a large number of product pages, consider creating categories to facilitate indexing instead of forcing a 'View All'....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does hidden content in accordions really lose its SEO value?
Content hidden in tabs or accordions is indexed but is not considered as important for ranking. Make sure that all important content is visible as soon as the page loads....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How does Google actually handle review requests after a site hack?
In case of security issues, use the Search Console to request a review, and turn to help forums if you receive no response....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are 301 redirects really enough for a successful website migration?
301 redirects are generally sufficient to manage site migrations if they are correctly implemented. A change of address in Search Console is often optional....
Nov 17, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does demoting sitelinks in Search Console really work?
Demoting sitelinks in Search Console does not ensure their complete deletion and may take several weeks to take effect....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is the Toolbar PageRank really dead for SEO?
The PageRank displayed in the toolbar is no longer updated and should not be used as a measure of a page's value....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Could a search form navigation be detrimental to your crawl budget?
A good structural site architecture aids better crawling by Google. Main navigation by search form can hinder crawling....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does content syndication really lead to a Google penalty?
Content syndication does not result in penalties for duplicate content, but if the site only contains syndicated content without adding value, it might rank lower....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can you use a self-referencing canonical on a noindex page?
A self-referencing canonical tag on a noindex page is acceptable and indicates that the page should not be indexed....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do structured data really boost your Google ranking?
Structured data helps Google understand page content but does not directly improve rankings. Prioritize content relevance for users....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really canonicalize all product variations to a main page?
To manage product variations, use rel=canonical to consolidate color/size variations to the main page to retain SEO juice....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ How long does it really take for a domain change to propagate in Google?
After a properly configured domain change, it generally takes a few hours to a day for new URLs to appear in search results, although this may vary....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is loading speed really just a minor ranking factor in SEO?
Loading speed is not a critical ranking factor, but it influences our ability to crawl your site effectively....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do 302 redirects really pass PageRank during a site migration?
During a domain change, a 302 redirect does not block the transmission of PageRank value, although a 301 redirect is recommended for permanent changes....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot really crawl your pages using HTTP/2?
Currently, Googlebot does not exclusively support crawling in HTTP2, but this is expected to change soon....
Nov 06, 2015 ⚡ Analysis available
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