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
★★ How can you make your citation site stand out to boost your SEO?
Sites that are solely based on citations are very competitive because they consist of short content and public domains that anyone can republish. There isn’t a simple trick to rank this type of site. ...
Sep 10, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ How do lead forms placed at the top of the page really impact your SEO?
A lead generation form at the top of the page generally does not significantly affect SEO. Algorithms monitor ads above the fold that push the main content downward. A form might be considered an ad b...
Sep 10, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Could New CSS Properties Be an Untapped SEO Opportunity?
Google does not make any special considerations for new CSS properties or HTML tags in terms of SEO. HTML content is indexed normally. Any potential impact would occur through Core Web Vitals if a CSS...
Sep 10, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How can you enhance your link building strategy without jeopardizing your website's ranking?
Creating great content is the first step, but it’s not the only one. You need to disseminate the information, find individuals who are influenced and interested in the topic who might write about it. ...
Sep 10, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How does writing for users enhance your SEO?
It is essential to focus on writing for users, not for search engines. Google’s machine learning algorithms are evolving to understand natural text and the actual meaning conveyed by a piece of text, ...
Sep 09, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can Changing Your IP Address Hurt Your Site's SEO Rankings?
John Mueller explained on Reddit that if you change your server's IP address, it will not affect your page rankings. However, it may impact the site's crawlability by bots, while the search engine's c...
Sep 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you avoid 'nofollow' attributes on your own sites?
For links between two sites owned by the same owner, use regular links without the sponsored or nofollow attributes. These links are not regarded as affiliate links by Google....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does the placement of content on a category page really influence SEO?
Whether you place the content at the top or bottom of a category page likely makes little difference for SEO. Content at the top can slightly aid in understanding the context and headings....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are Google Search Console positions truly reliable for SEO?
The positions displayed in Search Console are based on what users actually see, not on theoretical positions. Differences from your own searches are normal because results vary by country, language, d...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why should you keep the original URL for SEO after separating from PPC?
When separating a URL used for SEO and PPC, it is recommended to keep the original URL for SEO because many signals are tied to it, and creating a new SEO URL would mean starting from scratch....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why Are Mobile-Friendly Reports Not Comprehensive for SEO?
Mobile usability reports, Core Web Vitals, and structured data in Search Console show a sample of URLs. A decrease in the number of valid URLs does not mean that other pages have issues, only that the...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why is having a single recipe per page essential for SEO?
The schema.org markup for recipes should only be used for a single item per page, not for lists of recipe ideas. Google is working to algorithmically detect these abuses rather than relying on manual ...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why is a sitemap crucial even for small sites?
Submitting a sitemap file is not mandatory, especially for very small sites, but it is highly recommended as it facilitates the discovery of new and updated content by Google....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you include affiliate links in your product markup to enhance your SEO?
It is acceptable to use links to other sellers, such as Amazon affiliate links, in schema.org Product markup, as some sites operate on an affiliate basis or with separate cart systems....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is it wise to still use KGMID in schema.org sameAs?
Using Google's Knowledge Graph identifier in the sameAs property of schema.org is technically possible but not recommended because these identifiers can change. It is advisable to prefer stable URLs s...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why are your sitelinks showing the wrong languages?
If Google displays incorrect country or language versions in the sitelinks, it usually indicates a problem with hreflang configuration or geotargeting. Check these settings as a priority....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How can you effectively manage website mergers without facing SEO penalties?
When merging websites, there is no penalty for migrating gradually or all at once. For site merges and separations, incremental migration is acceptable, unlike traditional domain changes....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is it really necessary to enrich your category pages for SEO?
Having a bit of content on category pages is beneficial for providing context, but these pages shouldn't be transformed into Wikipedia articles. The goal is to offer context without diluting the page'...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does including a country in the title tag really affect your SEO?
Mentioning a specific country in the title tag (like US or UK) is not used by Google to determine the geographic geotargeting of the site....
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you expect traffic drops when migrating from .com to .co.uk?
Migrating from a .com domain to a .co.uk involves automatic geotargeting towards the UK. Traffic fluctuations are normal during this change, particularly if the content is also altered. With a .co.uk,...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.