John Mueller

★★ How is Google really evolving its anti-spam tactics to stay ahead of manipulators?

Google released its annual Webspam report detailing the efforts deployed to prevent spam and malicious content from affecting search results. The report mentions the changes observed over the years in...

Jun 23, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are sitemap extension tags still worth your time and effort?

Google announced the discontinuation of several sitemap extension tags, notably image geolocation and video category, starting in August 2022. This does not affect the use of other sitemap data which ...

Jun 23, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is Google's Ecommerce Essentials series really changing how you approach technical SEO?

Google has launched a new video series called 'Ecommerce Essentials' that covers critical topics such as image optimization, JavaScript management, and mobile adaptation. Although targeting e-commerce...

Jun 23, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you connect Search Console to Data Studio to boost your SEO performance?

Google published a series of blog articles explaining how to connect Google Search Console to Google Data Studio. This connection allows you to create advanced visualizations such as bubble charts sho...

Jun 23, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google publicly confirm some Core Updates but not others?

Google performs Core Updates several times per year. Google confirms these major updates because they typically produce visible effects and can significantly impact site rankings....

Jun 23, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Publish Empty Pages While Waiting to Write Their Final Content?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that it's a poor SEO practice to publish pages empty of content (i.e., with only the graphic charter, menus, etc.), for example to get them indexed while waiting for ...

Jun 20, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google Really Use Bing's Index as a Backup Database?

Alright, here's a fun one to wrap up this section and start the week on an amusing note: a user asked John Mueller if Google used Bing's index when it couldn't find satisfactory results in its own ind...

Jun 20, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really announce all of its progressive rollouts by geographic region?

When Google deploys an algorithmic update in a specific country or language first, this information is mentioned in official announcements when relevant....

Jun 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really deploy updates simultaneously across every country and language?

Although Google strives to make everything as global as possible, the deployment of major algorithmic changes can vary by country and language. There is no simple yes or no answer about the simultanei...

Jun 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really deploy algorithm updates in English first, or does it depend on the specific language?

During a progressive rollout, Google selects the language or country most relevant to the algorithm in question. It's not always English—the choice depends on the nature of the update....

Jun 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why doesn't Google roll out algorithm updates everywhere at the same time?

Once an algorithm performs as expected in the initial test country or language, it is typically extended progressively to other countries and languages over time....

Jun 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google test algorithm updates in specific countries or languages before rolling them out worldwide?

Sometimes, Google needs to select a specific country or language to focus on first when deploying an algorithmic update. This allows engineers to refine the algorithms before a wider rollout....

Jun 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google Really Use Identical Algorithms Everywhere in the World?

Google aims to make its algorithms as globally valid as possible. Not having to create variations by country or language makes algorithm testing and maintenance much easier....

Jun 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Really Fill the ALT Attribute of All Your Images with Your Site Name?

John Mueller indicated on Twitter that it was not a good practice to identically repeat a website's name in the ALT attribute of images that had little semantic meaning (bullets, lines, etc.) or simpl...

Jun 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Block Human Access to Your XML Sitemaps?

John Mueller explained on Twitter that Google accepts the practice of blocking your XML sitemap files from regular users while keeping them visible only to search engine crawlers....

Jun 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Invest in a CDN to Improve Your Organic Rankings?

John Mueller indicated during a hangout with webmasters that, generally speaking, using a CDN (Content Delivery Network) does not specifically provide an SEO bonus and does not bring a positive effect...

Jun 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it really worth blocking or hiding external links to protect your PageRank?

Using complex patterns (like PRG) to mask external links is completely pointless and excessive. A simple rel=nofollow is all you need if necessary. Blocking all external links makes no sense — you nee...

Jun 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does a CDN really improve your Google rankings?

Using a CDN has no significant effect on SEO or Google rankings. The main impact concerns user experience. If Google's crawl is very slow, it can affect indexation, but this is generally not a problem...

Jun 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really ban nofollow from your internal links?

Using nofollow on internal links generally makes no sense. It is better to use rel=canonical to indicate preferred URLs or robots.txt to block crawling of problematic URLs that cause server load....

Jun 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really isolate your archived content to boost your SEO performance?

For obsolete content, it is recommended to move it to a clearly separated archive section. This helps Google focus on your main active content. Using noindex on archives is optional and depends on you...

Jun 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available