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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★★★ Should you really prioritize the 410 code over 404 to signal a deleted page?
Google treats HTTP 404 (Not Found) and 410 (Gone) status codes the same way internally. Search Console displays them identically as well, which reflects the actual processing performed by Google's cra...
May 30, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does your choice of CMS and programming language really impact your SEO?
The CMS used (WordPress or other) and the programming language have no impact on ranking. Only server performance and behavior can have an effect, particularly if the server is especially slow....
May 04, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does image URL depth really prevent Googlebot from crawling your images?
The number of levels in an image URL does not prevent Googlebot from crawling and indexing that image. Path complexity is not a problem for Google....
May 04, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you abandon dynamic rendering for SEO?
Dynamic rendering (full HTML via SSR for bots, CSR for users) works but adds complexity to configuration and maintenance. Google does not encourage it for new projects....
May 04, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really render EVERY successfully crawled page with JavaScript?
All pages that are correctly crawled are rendered by Googlebot. Only pages that generate errors like 404s are not rendered. JavaScript rendering is part of the normal indexation process....
May 04, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Google's modern Chromium engine finally making JavaScript SEO-friendly?
Google now uses a modern Chromium rendering engine to process JavaScript, which represents a major improvement over the past. This allows for better support of sites using JavaScript intensively....
Mar 23, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is JavaScript really compatible with modern SEO?
Not all JavaScript negatively impacts performance or search engine rankings. For example, Service Workers allow websites to function offline and improve network performance without harming SEO....
Mar 23, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is your robots.txt file being treated as a security threat by Google?
Google treats the content of robots.txt files as external input controlled by users, therefore potentially problematic. The library is designed to handle malformed or malicious content without introdu...
Mar 08, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Was Google really prioritizing HTML over JavaScript for crawling and indexing?
In 2015-2016, Google had difficulty indexing certain JavaScript frameworks like AngularJS. Websites built entirely in HTML were crawled and indexed faster than JavaScript-based sites, even though Goog...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can loading spinners really prevent Google from indexing your JavaScript pages?
Loading spinners that hide content during JavaScript rendering can prevent Googlebot from accessing the full content of the page, even if everything works correctly in Chrome or in Fetch as Google....
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why does Google take 3 to 6 months to index JavaScript content after crawling your site?
Even when Google crawls a JavaScript site quickly (a few weeks for 50-100K URLs), full processing and indexation of rendered content can take 3 to 6 additional months before being reflected in search ...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is your JavaScript slowing down how fast Google discovers your pages?
In comparative experiments, the discovery and crawling of internal links are significantly faster on HTML-based sites than on sites where links are injected dynamically via JavaScript....
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can JavaScript Really Be Indexed Faster Than HTML?
Contrary to expectations, some JavaScript pages can be indexed faster than their HTML equivalents, because Google runs indexing processes in parallel with different priorities depending on the type of...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is your JavaScript really being rendered by Google? Here's how to verify it with the honeypot method.
To verify whether Google is correctly rendering your JavaScript, create links accessible only via JavaScript that point to unique URLs, then analyze your server logs to confirm that Googlebot accesses...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are all JavaScript frameworks really treated equally by Google's crawling system?
Although Google is the only search engine that renders JavaScript, not all frameworks are treated identically. Some modern frameworks may have incompatibilities or require specific adjustments to be p...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is Google misleading you about JavaScript rendering, or just keeping things simple?
Statements like 'Google renders JavaScript like a modern browser' aren't false but represent simplifications. There are nuances and limitations that aren't always documented in detail....
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really fix your technical SEO before investing heavily in content and backlinks?
Before investing heavily in backlinks or content, it's crucial to ensure that the technical foundation of your website is correct. A technically flawed site will not fully benefit from content or link...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why does Google recommend testing in real conditions rather than relying solely on documentation?
When facing unexplained issues or unexpected behaviors, creating controlled experiments with test domains allows you to understand Google's actual behavior rather than relying solely on documentation ...
Feb 01, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does a robots.txt disallow directive really block snippet generation in search results?
If Google cannot crawl the site because of a disallow directive in robots.txt, it cannot generate a snippet because it doesn't know the site's content....
Jan 10, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can Lighthouse really replace a professional SEO audit?
Lighthouse SEO audits are superficial but provide useful pointers and indicators directly where developers are already working, especially for Core Web Vitals....
Jan 10, 2023 ⚡ Analysis available
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