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 be using Lighthouse with feature flags to measure SEO impact before rolling out changes?
The Lighthouse tool allows you to measure the impact of modifications on performance. It is recommended to use it with feature flags to compare performance before and after deploying a new feature....
Mar 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is semantic HTML really a game-changing ranking factor for SEO?
Using correct semantic HTML (semantic links, appropriate structure) is part of the basic SEO concepts that frontend developers should master for effective search engine optimization....
Mar 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should SEO experts really be involved from the technical design phase?
It is essential to involve SEO experts from the design phase (roadmap, design doc, PRD) for features affecting indexable pages, in order to avoid having to fix problems after deployment....
Mar 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Why doesn't a well-designed website generate any traffic without a discoverability strategy?
Putting a website online without a discoverability strategy is not enough to generate traffic. Users won't come automatically. You need to implement concrete actions to be found, particularly through ...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google Really Index Modern JavaScript Properly? Here's What You Need to Know
The claim that using JavaScript prevents you from being found in Google Search is no longer true. This belief was valid 5 to 10 years ago, but no longer matches the current reality of Google's capabil...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is Shadow DOM really holding back your multi-search engine visibility?
Although Google Search manages Shadow DOM, other search engines may encounter difficulties with this technology. Technical solutions such as pre-rendering may be necessary to ensure maximum compatibil...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are SEO technical fundamentals really as critical as everyone claims they are?
Title tags, meta descriptions, canonical URLs, real links with href attributes, heading structure, and sitemaps remain fundamental technical elements for SEO. Their absence or poor implementation can ...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is your technical SEO slowly degrading without ongoing maintenance?
Technical SEO aspects naturally degrade over time if nobody pays attention to them. Framework migrations, style system changes, or updates can break SEO configurations if developers don't understand t...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google really penalize you for breaking heading hierarchy, and why does it matter?
The structure and order of heading tags must be respected. Style system modifications can disrupt this hierarchy if it's maintained only for visual appearance without semantic consideration....
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really believe SEO and accessibility are one and the same thing?
Good SEO and accessibility practices converge toward the same objectives: clean DOM, optimal performance, understandable content. Optimizing for search engines simultaneously improves user experience ...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google really always reward superior content in rankings eventually?
If you create content that is genuinely better than anything else out there, Google's algorithm will eventually recognize it and reward it in terms of ranking. This process may take time, but quality ...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Are Core Updates secretly ruining your SEO test results?
Google's algorithm updates (Core Updates) can interfere with ongoing SEO tests, making it difficult to reliably attribute ranking changes to specific site modifications. This is an inherent reality of...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really prioritize user experience over technical SEO optimization?
Although there are technical aspects to optimize for search engines, the main approach should remain user-centric. Building for users and doing what is good for them generally leads to good SEO result...
Feb 09, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does valid HTML really matter for ranking higher on Google?
Using valid HTML according to specifications helps Google understand pages more reliably. However, Google also indexes pages with invalid HTML, even if this can lead to interpretation errors. It's a b...
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Why does Google insist so much on real <a href> tags?
Websites should use the HTML anchor tag with an href attribute pointing to an accessible URL, rather than buttons or spans with JavaScript event handlers to simulate links....
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you really abandon CSS images in favor of HTML img tags for better SEO?
You must use HTML image tags rather than CSS background images. The alt attribute should be added for images that deliver meaningful content, not for decorative images. This improves accessibility and...
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really treat noindex as an absolute rule, or does it bend the rules for exceptional content?
Google strictly respects the noindex directive: if a page contains this tag, it will not be indexed, even if the content seems useful. This is a clear rule and not a recommendation....
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google really require HTTPS to index your website?
Using HTTPS is a clear best practice and is recommended, but Google still indexes HTTP sites. It's a best practice, not a blocking requirement for indexation....
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Google really trigger scroll or click events to crawl your hidden content?
Don't rely on scroll or click events to expand page content (such as scroll-based lazy loading), because Google may not trigger these events and could miss the content entirely....
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Is image alt text really still essential when Google has computer vision to understand images?
Google uses computer vision to analyze images, but the alt attribute remains important because it reinforces Google's confidence in interpreting visual content when both sources align....
Feb 03, 2022 ⚡ Analysis available
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