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.
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🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★ 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
★★★ Should you choose subdomains or subdirectories for effective SEO geotargeting?
For multi-country geotargeting, it is essential to use subdomains or subdirectories for each country. Each must be added separately in Search Console. If you are using a generic domain (.com), you can...
Sep 10, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ 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 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
★★ 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
★★ 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
★★ 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
★★ Could avoiding unique downloads actually enhance your SEO?
Creating unique download files for each user hinders Google's ability to proactively scan them, potentially triggering unusual download warnings. Supplying original files allows Google to recognize th...
Sep 03, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does using multiple CMS really affect your SEO?
Using multiple CMS on the same site does not affect SEO. Google does not take the type of CMS into account for ranking or indexing. Any potential issues are related to the CMS itself, not to having se...
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
★★ Why does Google count impressions even when there's no actual visibility?
An impression is counted as soon as the results page loads with your site, even if the user does not scroll. Exception: for carousels, the impression is only counted when it is visible in the viewport...
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 do Google’s Core Web Vitals rely on the Chrome User Experience Report?
The Core Web Vitals data used for rankings comes from the Chrome User Experience Report. For this data to be collected, users must have consented to share their data with Google....
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
★★ 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
★★ 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
★★ 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
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