Martin Splitt

★★ Can Google's cache really skew the rendering of your JavaScript pages?

During rendering, Google extensively uses cache to ensure consistent outputs. Cacheable GET requests will be cached. If a cached resource has expired or is non-cacheable, Google will retrieve it again...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why do live tests in Search Console produce conflicting results?

Live tests in the URL Inspection tool or the mobile test can show different results from test to test because they do not utilize the cache like the actual indexing pipeline. Timeouts can occur, leadi...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How can you manage URL parameters to prevent indexing issues?

To avoid indexing URLs with tracking parameters, there are two solutions: use the URL parameters tool in Search Console, or set a canonical tag to the URL without parameters. If the canonical URL is c...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Could removing JavaScript links make your pages invisible to Google?

Removing navigation links in JavaScript impacts the link graph. If the pages become orphaned without other access methods, Google may have difficulty reintegrating them into the site structure. Sitema...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google discover your pages but refuse to index them?

The status 'discovered but not indexed' means that Google is aware of the existence of the URLs but has not yet crawled them, or that after crawling, the content was deemed insufficiently relevant for...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can a XML sitemap really trigger a targeted recrawl of your pages?

To increase a site’s crawl rate, one can update the XML sitemap file to indicate that pages have changed, which may encourage Google to recrawl them. You can also request indexing for priority pages, ...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why can't Googlebot see links revealed after a user clicks?

Links that only appear after a user action (click) will not be seen by Googlebot, as it does not interact with pages. However, if the links are present in the source code but simply hidden (then revea...

Jan 27, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should You Really Worry About the Page Experience Badge in Search Results?

Martin Splitt explained on Twitter that the badge Google plans to display in the SERPs as part of the launch of its Page Experience and Core Web Vitals projects next May might not see the light of day...

Jan 18, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why don't your Lighthouse tests reflect your real Core Web Vitals scores?

The ranking factor for Core Web Vitals is entirely based on field data and not on lab data. Tools like Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights provide indications but do not necessarily reflect the true scor...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really trust lab data to optimize your SEO performance?

Lab data is not useless: it serves as an indicator and helps identify where potential problems lie. However, they do not represent the absolute truth because performance depends on numerous factors. I...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Are Core Web Vitals really that crucial for your Google ranking?

Core Web Vitals and Page Experience constitute a single ranking factor among hundreds of others. Their power should not be overestimated. Speed is important but not the only factor. If it were, a blan...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you block countries with slow connections to boost your Core Web Vitals?

You should not block access to countries with slow connections to improve the Core Web Vitals scores. This is an overly focused and risky approach. Users would use proxies/VPNs, making their connectio...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that crawl volume is insignificant for SEO?

The amount of crawling done by Google is not an indicator of quality or ranking. A decline in the number of crawl requests (from 300K to 50K, for example) is not a problem as long as the Crawl Stats r...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does the crawl budget really fluctuate without affecting your site's performance?

Google adjusts the crawl budget based on needs: if the pages have probably not been updated, less crawling is necessary. The volume can fluctuate naturally without impacting the performance or coverag...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that on-the-ground data from Chrome UX Report outperforms your local performance tests?

To evaluate the actual Core Web Vitals, you need to consult the Chrome UX Report if available (with sufficient data). Search Console provides a Core Web Vitals report that displays this ground data. T...

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that Google disregards your Lighthouse scores for SEO ranking?

What truly matters is how real users experience the website. Lab tools give indications for debugging and identifying issues, but real user experience (field data) is the priority....

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you be worried about unpredictable changes in Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are set to be updated approximately once a year in a structured and scheduled manner, rather than randomly throughout the year. This provides more predictable goals for optimizations....

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are Core Web Vitals Really Trustworthy in Measuring Your Site's Actual Performance?

Core Web Vitals are not perfect. There will be websites that are truly fast for users but do not have good Core Web Vitals scores. This is why these metrics continue to evolve and improve....

Jan 06, 2021 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is Google truly keeping its rendering engine up to date as fast as claimed with Evergreen Chrome?

Google uses an evergreen version of Chrome for web page rendering. This version is updated a few weeks after each new stable release of Chrome. The system automatically manages errors and retries in c...

Dec 10, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does Google really render ALL crawled pages with JavaScript?

Almost all crawled pages go through the JavaScript rendering process. The Web Rendering Service orchestrates numerous Chrome instances in the cloud to execute JavaScript and build the final DOM, exact...

Dec 10, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available