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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★★★ Are your JavaScript bundles really dragging down your Core Web Vitals?
Unoptimized JavaScript plugins and packages significantly increase latency. It's recommended to analyze bundles, remove unnecessary packages, load only essential functions, and implement tree shaking ...
Dec 29, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really be analyzing your JavaScript bundles with webpack to boost SEO performance?
Google encourages the use of tools like webpack bundle analyzer to identify large and unnecessary packages that bloat pages, making it possible to optimize JavaScript bundles....
Dec 29, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does a 15% boost in mobile speed really keep more users on your product pages?
A 15% reduction in mobile load time can drive a measurable increase in the number of users staying on product pages, demonstrating the direct impact of performance on user engagement....
Dec 29, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why does performance optimization take so much time in SEO?
Performance fixes are generally not quick solutions. While some optimizations like lazy loading or GIF replacement are fast to implement, complete bundle optimization can take several months....
Dec 29, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Googlebot really flagging soft 404s on your empty geolocalized pages?
When Googlebot crawls from different geographic locations and finds pages with no content for that region (e.g., no local inventory), it may treat them as soft 404s, even if the page functions normall...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is geolocation-based cloaking really acceptable to Google?
Cloaking is specifically defined as the act of deceiving the user. Showing different content based on geolocation is not cloaking as long as the user experience remains consistent with their expectati...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really consider showing default national content as cloaking?
If you cannot determine a user's location or if you don't have content for their region, displaying default national content for all users (including Googlebot) is not considered cloaking....
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is cloaking really a problem if the user isn't being deceived?
Google is only concerned about cloaking when there is deception of the user. For example, a car comparison site that displayed advertisements for medications instead of car comparisons would be consid...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Googlebot really crawling your website from multiple countries?
Googlebot can crawl websites from different geographical locations, which can produce different results if your content is geolocation-dependent. It's important to check IP addresses in your logs to i...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you wait before assessing the real impact of a Google algorithm update?
Algorithm updates don't deploy instantly. They can take several weeks, with components potentially adjusted or removed during rollout. You need to wait 2 to 3 weeks before analyzing the true impact of...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is log file analysis really the game-changer that large-scale sites are overlooking?
Log file analysis is extremely valuable, particularly for sites with several million pages, because it allows you to understand what Google actually crawls, what it doesn't crawl, and where it encount...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is an empty page destroying your user experience and SEO potential?
Displaying a completely empty page to users who don't share their geolocation is considered poor user experience. It is preferable to display default content rather than nothing at all....
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ How can you guarantee a user experience that matches expectations without risking a cloaking penalty?
User experience should always be of high quality and consistent with user expectations. This is a fundamental principle for avoiding being considered as practicing cloaking or other problematic techni...
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really compare the actual state of your pages before and after a traffic drop?
When analyzing a drop in visibility, it is important to compare the actual state of pages before and after, as sites may have made changes that explain the drop, independent of an algorithmic update....
Dec 13, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ 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
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