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John Mueller

Search Advocate at Google
4260 statements Period : 2014 - 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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★★ How long does it really take for your data to show up in Search Console after verification?
After verification in Search Console, expect a few days before data starts appearing. This is why Google recommends making this verification an early priority step....
May 12, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google Really Ignore Your Canonical Tag?
A page may have a preferred canonical URL declared, but sometimes Google won't select it. The URL Inspection API allows you to test both URLs and quickly verify the difference....
May 12, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why are more than 15% of Google searches completely new every day, and how should this reshape your SEO strategy?
Over 15% of all search queries submitted every day on Google Search are completely brand new. This metric has remained stable over many years, meaning that every single day there are opportunities for...
May 12, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is Google really sending more traffic to websites each year?
Year after year, Google sends more and more traffic to open web sites. This trend shows that there are growing opportunities for site owners....
May 12, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Google really indexing all your pages, or should you accept partial coverage?
Google does not guarantee the indexation of all pages on a site. However, it becomes easier to identify potential technical issues when you know that certain pages are no longer being indexed....
May 12, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why is Google pushing domain-level verification in Search Console—and should you switch now?
Google recommends verifying your site's property in Search Console at the domain level because it offers the most options. An API exists to facilitate this verification....
May 12, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really avoid duplicating your own content for SEO?
Reusing your own content by changing a few words is not contrary to Google's guidelines, but delivers little value. It's better to create fewer, higher-quality articles. Warning: creating many variati...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can the meta notranslate tag really remove the 'Translate this page' link from Google search results?
There is a meta notranslate tag that tells Chrome and translation systems that a page should not be translated. This tag can also prevent the display of the 'Translate this page' link in search result...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can an SSL certificate really penalize your search rankings?
If an SSL certificate works correctly in a browser, it will work correctly for Google indexing. An SSL certificate problem would not cause a drop in visibility in search results....
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why have external user studies become essential for diagnosing quality issues that your team can no longer see?
To understand quality problems, it is recommended to conduct user studies with people external to your site. Asking them questions about trust, experience, and difficulties encountered helps identify ...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really trust rel=canonical to control indexation?
The rel canonical is a signal that helps Google choose which URL to index among duplicate pages. Google doesn't always follow this indication: its systems can decide that another URL is preferable. Th...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does a progressive multi-domain ranking decline reveal a quality issue rather than a technical one?
When a ranking drop first appears on one TLD and then gradually extends to others, it suggests a problem with Google's overall understanding of your site rather than a localized technical issue....
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does the disavow tool really erase all traces of toxic links from Google's algorithms?
Links disavowed via the disavow tool are completely removed from Google's systems. They no longer have any effect, neither positive nor negative. Links still appear in Search Console but are ignored i...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are JavaScript Web Components really crawlable by Google's bots?
JavaScript-based Web Components can be processed by Google Search. It is recommended to test the rendering with Search Console's Inspect URL tool to verify that Google can properly extract important c...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does your CMS really penalize your SEO compared to static HTML?
Whether pages are in static HTML or dynamically generated by WordPress or another CMS, Googlebot only sees the final HTML. The platform used has no impact on crawling, indexation or ranking....
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are backlinks pointing to 404 pages really worthless for your SEO?
Backlinks pointing to pages that return a 404 code are not taken into account by Google, because there is no content to associate with them. These links are automatically abandoned by Google's systems...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really see your JavaScript content the way you do?
The Inspect URL tool in Search Console allows you to check how Googlebot renders a JavaScript page. You can see the rendered screenshot and the generated HTML to ensure that important content is prope...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really require FAQ Schema content to follow a strict presentation format?
To use FAQ Schema markup, questions and answers must be visible on the page. They can appear in different sections of the page (such as blog section headings), not necessarily in a traditional FAQ for...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why does Google penalize excessive variations of the same content?
Creating many variations of the same content by simply changing a few words constitutes doorway pages, which goes against Google's Webmaster Guidelines. This dilutes your site's quality instead of rei...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why aren't your pages getting indexed even though your site is technically flawless?
When technical aspects are correct and certain pages aren't indexed or ranking well, the problem usually comes from perceived content quality and overall site experience, not from technical infrastruc...
May 08, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
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