Martin Splitt

★★★ Why does sending a HTTP 200 on your errors sabotage your crawl budget?

HTTP status codes help Googlebot and browsers determine how to handle a response. In single-page apps, the server no longer directly handles errors, but it is crucial to return the correct HTTP status...

Oct 14, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ How should you properly handle HTTP error codes in a single-page app?

To properly manage errors in a single-page app, the server must be configured to respond with an appropriate error code for specific URLs (for example, /not-found returns a 404, /maintenance returns a...

Oct 14, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do JavaScript redirections to error pages really trigger an error signal for Googlebot?

When JavaScript redirects to an error URL configured with the correct HTTP status code, it signals to browsers and Googlebot that the page is redirecting to another URL that is a real error....

Oct 14, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do Cookie Banners Really Hurt Your CLS Score and Core Web Vitals?

We know that the CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) metric, which measures how a page's display changes as it is rendered in the browser window, is one of the criteria considered by the "Core Web Vitals" t...

Oct 05, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Do Chrome and Android Really Impact Google Rankings?

Google does not use data from Chrome or Android for ranking in search results. This data is highly noisy and can be easily manipulated, as shown by the example of Direct Hit which used click data and ...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do featured snippets really generate more qualified traffic than traditional positions?

According to studies and experiences shared by the community, featured snippets often generate more qualified traffic to websites. The traffic gained is of higher quality even if it may be less signif...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you stop tweeting at Google and start using the 'Submit Feedback' button in Search Console?

Google strongly encourages the use of the 'Submit Feedback' button in Search Console instead of Twitter. Feedback through this channel provides quantitative data that is genuinely taken into account t...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Why does Google refuse to disclose how it detects spam?

Google cannot disclose details on spam detection because that would allow spammers to use this information to manipulate the system. This information is deliberately kept confidential to protect the q...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is AMP really a ranking factor in Google results?

AMP is not a ranking factor in the main organic results. Initially, AMP was required to appear in the Top Stories carousel, but it is not considered a ranking factor in the traditional sense....

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is Google really trying to send traffic to your site or keep it for itself?

Google's fundamental aim is to connect users with content publishers. Google isn't looking to keep traffic to itself but rather to create relevant connections between searchers and content creators....

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does Google really test its updates before deploying them in production?

During the launch of Evergreen Googlebot, Google did not just test in production. The team ensured that they would not cause negative effects to websites before deployment, demonstrating a responsible...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really prioritize HTTPS and loading speed to rank on Google?

SEO technical priorities include HTTPS and site speed. These recommendations stem from a 'user-first' approach. Google regularly changes its criteria, but these technical elements remain important as ...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Are user tests truly essential for succeeding in SEO?

Google strongly recommends that businesses conduct real user testing. What creators think is the best content for their users is not necessarily what the users themselves consider the best. Testing re...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why do Google Developer Advocates intentionally ignore the details of ranking?

Martin Splitt deliberately maintains a distance from the details of ranking algorithms to better represent the community both internally and externally, and because he is not good at keeping secrets. ...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it true that Google hides its hundreds of ranking factors from us?

Google uses hundreds of ranking factors that are constantly changing. Discussing all these factors is not considered useful because there aren't many actionable elements. The focus should be on user n...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is AMP truly beneficial for users or just locking the web down for Google's gain?

The aim of AMP is not to break the web or create a Google-centric web, but to create a fast and efficient web for users, particularly in emerging countries where the web is dominated by mobile apps or...

Sep 23, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you update your existing content instead of creating new pages?

For similar content published each year (e.g., skincare routines), it's better to update the existing page and reposition it on the site rather than create a new page. Google may consider very similar...

Sep 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Does having an active blog really boost your Google ranking?

Having a blog and regularly producing new content is not a site-wide ranking factor. A blog is only beneficial if it provides relevant and useful content to users, not just to show Google that new con...

Sep 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is the word count really a Google ranking factor?

The word count is not a ranking factor. If you can answer the user's need in 50 words, that's perfect. If you need 2000 words, that's also acceptable. The important thing is to provide the necessary i...

Sep 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why are crawl stats a completely useless indicator for assessing the performance of your content?

To determine if content is underperforming, check the Performance Report in Search Console rather than the crawl stats. If you're getting a lot of impressions but few clicks, the content may need to b...

Sep 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available