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Martin Splitt

Developer Advocate at Google
1130 statements Period : 2018 - 2026
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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★★★ Does Google really throttle crawling when your server starts struggling?
When Google detects that your server is having difficulties, it automatically slows down its crawl to avoid consuming all your resources and allowing your real customers to be served. This reduces ind...
Nov 29, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are Browser Developer Tools Really Enough to Audit Your SEO Redirects?
The Network tab in Developer Tools built into your browser lets you see all HTTP status codes (301, 200, 404, etc.) and identify redirect chains without requiring paid tools....
Nov 29, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot actually store cookies when crawling your website?
Googlebot does not store cookies when crawling websites. Any pagination functionality or content that depends on cookies will not be accessible to Googlebot in the same way it is to normal users in a ...
Nov 15, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google's crawler really behave like a standard browser, even with the same user agent?
There are important differences between crawlers and browsers, even when using the same user agent. Crawlers don't support certain features like cookies, which can create different experiences....
Nov 15, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are cookie-dependent websites invisible to Googlebot?
Users who disable cookies through privacy plugins will see the same incorrect behavior as Googlebot if the site depends on cookies to display content correctly....
Nov 15, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can you really rely on service workers for SEO success?
Service workers are optional features that may not be supported or may fail during registration. Browsers can refuse to register them, and sites must be designed to function even if the service worker...
Nov 01, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can Googlebot actually index a website that relies on service workers to display its content?
Googlebot cannot register service workers. If a site waits for service worker registration before loading main content via client-side JavaScript, the content will not be indexed and pages will remain...
Nov 01, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot really ignore the service workers on your site?
A service worker can change a site's behavior for a returning visitor versus a new visitor. Google assumes that people coming from search results are new visitors and therefore do not benefit from ser...
Nov 01, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really block JavaScript execution for SPAs with server-side rendering?
For single-page applications with server-side rendering, there is no advantage to preventing Googlebot from executing JavaScript bundles. Doing so would only increase complexity without any real benef...
Oct 21, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google's web cache actually affect your search rankings?
Google's web cache is solely a convenience feature for accessing unavailable pages. The absence of content from the cache is not problematic and has no impact whatsoever on your search engine rankings...
Oct 21, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do ccTLDs really impose automatic geographic targeting that's impossible to override?
Geographic top-level domains such as .de, .at, .ch automatically set geographic targeting in Google Search Console. It is not possible to make the mistake of misconfiguring geographic targeting on a c...
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you use HTML or XML sitemap for hreflang? Which method truly matters for international SEO?
Hreflang annotations can be implemented in two ways: directly in the page's HTML code or via an XML sitemap. Both methods are valid and recognized by Google for international SEO....
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can you really use noscript tags in the <head> without SEO penalties?
Contrary to popular belief, noscript tags are allowed in the head section of an HTML page according to web standards. Google also accepts them, but their content can have unexpected effects on how the...
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really see your website the same way browsers do?
There is a crucial difference between the HTML source sent by your server and the DOM rendered after processing by the browser. This distinction is important to understand how Google handles pages, es...
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Can iframes in your <head> really break your technical SEO?
An iframe placed within a noscript tag located in the head section can prematurely close the head tag during rendering. This displaces the following elements (including hreflang) into the body, making...
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why is cross-referencing multiple data sources critical for accurate SEO diagnostics?
It is dangerous to rely on a single data source to diagnose an SEO problem. You must always cross-reference information from Google Search Console with other external tools to avoid false leads and co...
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google Search Console really show impression fluctuations in real time?
Google Search Console allows you to visualize relatively quickly the changes in impressions (impression share) following technical modifications on your site, making it a valuable tool for validating ...
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Can you test the Googlebot user-agent directly in Chrome without third-party extensions?
Chrome's native developer tools now allow you to modify the user-agent directly without external plugins. This feature is useful for testing how Google and other bots see your site....
Oct 18, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why is Google replacing your title tags with H1 headings?
Having the same title for all pages is problematic because it creates a poor appearance in search results. Google can replace problematic titles with H1 tags....
Oct 05, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really index titles modified by client-side JavaScript, or does it stick with the default?
When the initial HTML sent by the server contains a default title and JavaScript modifies it after the page loads, Google may index the default title instead of the correct one....
Oct 05, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
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