What does Google say about SEO? /
Lizzi Sassman is a Technical Writer on the Google Search team. She contributes to the official Google Search Central documentation and participates in podcasts and educational videos. Her statements often focus on documentation best practices and writing search-optimized content.
★★★ Has mobile-first indexing really been a game-changer for SEO since 2016?
Since late 2016, Google has begun using primarily the mobile version of a website's content for ranking, analysis, structured data, and snippet generation. Having a mobile-ready site is essential for ...
Nov 03, 2025 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does using Google Analytics or Chrome really boost your SEO rankings?
Using any other Google product will not influence your rankings in Google Search. There is no SEO advantage to using other Google services....
Nov 03, 2025 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really de-optimize certain pages to boost your SEO performance?
It's sometimes necessary to de-optimize certain pages to avoid attracting the wrong type of traffic. The objective is to have traffic that converts and accomplishes the desired action, not simply maxi...
Nov 03, 2025 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really optimize each Google removal tool differently for SEO?
Google's various content removal tools must be optimized differently for specific keywords in order to attract the right type of traffic and help users find the right tool for their particular need....
Nov 03, 2025 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why does Google document only one single meta tag in its official SEO guide?
In Google's SEO starter guide, the meta description is the only meta tag that is truly documented and recommended. Other meta tags are not addressed because they generally have no effect on search eng...
Nov 03, 2025 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are your pages' negative ratings a hidden SEO signal worth investigating?
If many people click the negative vote button to indicate they don't like a page, but you don't know why, that's a clear signal to start applying UX research methods to investigate the causes of the p...
Oct 31, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does cutting content actually help you rank better?
Google reduced its SEO Starter Guide by 53% by removing outdated or obvious content. Despite internal concerns about a ranking drop, the page became the site's number one page, even surpassing the hom...
May 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does content length really impact your Google rankings?
The 53% reduction of the SEO Starter Guide does not suggest a preference for shorter content. The goal was to remove outdated and obvious information to better meet the needs of beginner users. The gu...
May 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should the SEO Starter Guide Really Remain a Minimalist Document for Beginners?
The SEO Starter Guide is designed as a document for beginners presenting high-level concepts. It should not include all technical details (such as complete robots.txt rules) but rather introduce conce...
May 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google Really Want You to Bloat Your Pages for the Helpful Content Update?
With the Helpful Content Update, website owners are sometimes torn between deleting a page or expanding it. For unhelpful blog content, it's often preferable to reduce it significantly rather than exp...
May 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really tailor content depth to match your user's profile?
Content must match the user's objective for that particular document. Including too much detailed information in a document intended for beginners can be an obstacle to learning rather than a help....
May 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really fix broken links in your older content?
Google recommends fixing broken links in old content even if it dates back several years. This improves user experience by allowing visitors to find where resources have been moved....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really add warning banners to your older content pieces?
Placing banners on old blog articles allows you to inform users that the content may be obsolete, that certain links may no longer work, or that more recent resources are available....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really update all your old content for SEO?
You shouldn't automatically update all your old content. Some older blog pages still contain valid best practices, and modifying them could render the information factually incorrect....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really let your old articles stay with their original mistakes?
For product or feature announcements, you must preserve the original content with its publication date. Retroactively modifying these contents would make the information incorrect and misleading....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really delete outdated content instead of simply marking it as deprecated?
When a feature is removed, it's preferable to delete the associated documentation and redirect to a page explaining what happened rather than leaving the outdated content with a warning....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is using the canonical tag as a hidden redirect costing you your SEO rankings?
The canonical tag should only be used for equivalent content. Using it as a disguised redirect toward enriched or different content is not best practice....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you redirect or create an explanatory page when discontinuing a tool?
When a tool or feature is removed and multiple alternatives exist, creating an explanation page with the available options is preferable to a direct redirect to a single alternative....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is auditing your documentation regularly really essential to maintain strong SEO performance?
Implementing automatic reminder systems to periodically audit existing content allows you to verify that advice remains current and that links work properly....
May 09, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google Really Use Product Experts' Feedback to Improve Search Console and Documentation?
Product Experts can submit high-quality feedback based on their direct experience with recurring user questions. This feedback is actionable and used to improve documentation and products like Search ...
Feb 21, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
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