What does Google say about SEO? /
Martin Splitt is a Developer Advocate at Google, specializing in JavaScript rendering and modern web application indexing. He created the 'SEO Mythbusting' video series and regularly explains how Googlebot handles JavaScript frameworks. His statements are essential for developers looking to optimize the SEO of their applications.
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🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Why does Google insist that links should remain real HTML links?
Some developers try to do clever things with other elements like spans, divs, or buttons. But fundamentally, if something behaves like a link, it should be a proper HTML link....
Jul 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why is the HTML <a> element with an href attribute absolutely essential for Google's crawling?
HTML has a dedicated element for links: the A element. For an A element to be a proper link, it must have a URL in its href attribute. This can be either a relative or absolute URL — both are acceptab...
Jul 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot really discover your pages through internal links?
Googlebot uses internal links primarily for two things: discovering pages on your site and understanding the relationship between your site's pages. When Googlebot finds a URL in your pages, it may tr...
Jul 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really treat internal links as a UX signal for Googlebot?
Internal links are important because they help users identify the next steps to follow and connect individual pages of a website together. Googlebot also uses these internal links in the same way user...
Jul 23, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really be using the HTML loading attribute for lazy-loading in 2024?
The HTML loading attribute can be used to implement lazy-loading. It works in all modern browsers and older browsers simply ignore it, making it safe to use without any side effects....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is lazy-loading all your images actually hurting your SEO performance?
Don't use lazy-loading for all images because this technique has drawbacks for images that are immediately visible (above-the-fold). It should be reserved for images below the fold....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really enable lazy-loading on every single below-the-fold image?
For images that are unlikely to be immediately visible when the page loads (below-the-fold), use lazy-loading to delay their loading until they are likely to become visible. This reduces unnecessary d...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you declare alternative image versions using structured data to boost Google's indexing?
It is possible to add structured data to inform Google Search of other available image versions when using responsive sizing with picture or srcset....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do you really need picture and srcset to optimize responsive images for SEO?
To implement responsive sizing, use the HTML picture element or the srcset attribute on image elements. The browser will automatically choose the best image for the device, and Google Search will use ...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does image quality really need to adapt by screen size for SEO success?
Serve images of different sizes and quality levels depending on the user's device. Small screens can receive smaller and more compressed images, while large screens receive higher quality images....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really manually verify automatic image compression results for your website?
After automating image compression, you must always verify the results. Some images may appear lower quality than desired and require manual adjustment of compression parameters....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really automate image compression for SEO success?
It is recommended to compress images as much as possible without losing more quality than what is acceptable for your site. Once ideal parameters are found, automating the conversion and compression p...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do you really need to migrate your images to WebP and AVIF to boost your SEO?
Google recommends using appropriate image formats based on content type. Traditional formats include JPEG, PNG and GIF, while more recent formats such as WebP or AVIF offer better performance....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are poorly configured images really harming your SEO through layout shifts?
If images are used incorrectly, they can cause layout shifts when they appear on the site and move elements around, which degrades user experience....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are images really the main bottleneck killing your site's performance?
Images often constitute a significant portion of a website's total download weight and are frequently the cause of major slowdowns. They can negatively impact loading speed and cost time and money dur...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really use the HTML loading attribute to optimize lazy-loading?
The HTML loading attribute can be used to implement lazy-loading. It works in all modern browsers and older browsers simply ignore it, making it safe to use without any risk of regression....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really avoid lazy-loading for all your images?
Lazy-loading should not be used for all images because this technique has drawbacks for images immediately visible on screen. It should be applied selectively only to images below the fold line....
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you systematically use lazy-loading for all images below the fold?
For images unlikely to be immediately visible when the page loads (images below the fold), loading can be deferred until they become visible. This reduces data transfers for images the user might neve...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really index all your responsive image variations with picture and srcset?
The picture element or srcset attribute on images allow the browser to choose the best image for the device. Google Search will use the fallback image. It is possible to add structured data to inform ...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is your website really serving the right image size to each device?
For users on small screens, images can have a smaller size and stronger compression. Better quality and larger images are reserved for users on larger screens. This optimizes weight and performance ba...
Jul 02, 2024 ⚡ Analysis available
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