John Mueller

★★★ Does a simple trailing slash really trigger a complete site migration according to Google?

Any change to URL structure, even minimal ones like removing a trailing slash, is considered by Google as a complete site migration. This isn't a simple technical change but a major operation for sear...

Jan 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really treat all URLs the same way during a migration?

Google rapidly processes the most important pages during a URL migration, then progressively reprocesses the rest of the site. This differentiated process enables a phased transition....

Jan 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How long does a URL migration really take before Google fully processes it?

A complete URL migration can take several months before being fully completed and Google has reprocessed the entire site....

Jan 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really document every single URL during an SEO migration?

It is essential to create a list documenting all old URLs and their new correspondences. This list allows you to track and verify changes after the migration....

Jan 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really keep 301 redirects live for a full year or more?

301 redirects must remain active for at least one year following URL migration. This is the minimum duration recommended by Google to ensure a complete transition....

Jan 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do you really need to display all FAQ schema questions visibly on your page?

For FAQ schema, Google requires that the question be visible on the page. The answer can be in an accordion system or dropdown menu, but the question must be directly visible....

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does the domain directive in your Disavow file really help you bypass Google's 2MB limit?

The Disavow file limit is 2MB. To optimize space, it is recommended to use the domain directive as much as possible rather than listing each URL individually....

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do you really need to translate your pages word-for-word for hreflang to work effectively?

Pages linked by hreflang do not need to have exactly identical content. Products, recommendations, and algorithms can vary between countries. Google uses hreflang to understand which URLs are equivale...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does removing AMP actually boost crawl on your regular pages?

After AMP pages are removed, Googlebot that was frequently crawling these pages to refresh the cache will redirect this crawl activity toward the site's traditional pages....

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does it really matter whether you submit your sitemap in robots.txt or Search Console?

All different sitemap submission methods are equivalent for Google. Including the sitemap in the robots.txt file provides no particular SEO advantage compared to submission via Search Console....

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you noindex your internal search results pages to prevent spammers from creating backlinks?

To prevent spam sites from creating backlinks to your internal search results pages containing their phone numbers or URLs, simply set these search results pages or those containing long queries to no...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is AMP really a ranking factor for Google?

AMP is not a ranking factor. You shouldn't expect any change in your search rankings simply because you use or don't use AMP pages. On the other hand, AMP pages are generally fast, and speed is a rank...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you delete pages to boost your site's indexation?

If many pages are not indexed, it may be wise to reduce the total number of pages to concentrate value on fewer, higher-quality pages. This can help Google better index and rank your priority pages....

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does semantic HTML really boost your search rankings?

Some semantic HTML elements give Google a bit more context about page content, but tags like footer don't really provide additional information for SEO. Semantic HTML remains useful for accessibility ...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is AMP still a ranking factor in Google Search?

Currently, there are no Google search features exclusively reserved for AMP pages. There is therefore nothing to lose on this front by removing AMP....

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Googlebot really crawl from just one place when indexing your geo-targeted content?

For search purposes, Googlebot generally crawls from a single location, which likely corresponds to California for most Google systems. This means that geo-localized content served in California is th...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can a site migration really boost your SEO rankings or destroy them completely?

A site migration can have very positive or very negative effects on SEO. The result depends on implementation quality: improvement of internal linking, URL structure, HTML quality. You should not assu...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can hidden accordion content really show up in featured snippets?

Content initially hidden in accordions or tabs can be used for featured snippets and normal excerpts. Google generally tries not to show too much initially non-visible content in snippets, but this ca...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can a noindex tag on geolocalized pages wipe your entire website from Google search results?

If you create landing pages by state and add noindex to these individual pages, then the homepage that would be displayed for California would also be noindexed, causing the site to disappear from sea...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google deliberately choose not to index your entire website?

Google doesn't necessarily index all content from every website—this is normal and expected behavior. If a substantial portion of your content is already indexed, that's a good sign. Internal linking ...

Jan 14, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available