Martin Splitt

★★★ Does the rendered HTML in Search Console really reflect what Googlebot indexes?

Google's testing tools (URL Inspection Tool, Rich Results Test, Mobile-Friendly Test) display the rendered HTML as seen by Googlebot. If content appears in the rendered HTML, Google can use it; if it ...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ What are the chances that Googlebot is missing your critical JavaScript changes?

When a JavaScript script modifies critical elements (title, headings) on the client side, it must be loaded as early as possible. If the script runs too late after the initial load, Googlebot may miss...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Is it true that Google rewrites your title tags and meta descriptions at will?

Google can rewrite the title tags and meta descriptions shown in search results, even if they have been rendered correctly. The fact that the search result displays content that differs from the rende...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ What event does Googlebot really wait for to index your content: DOMContentLoaded or Load?

DOMContentLoaded fires when the DOM has been fully parsed, but before all resources (images, iframes) are completely loaded. The Load event waits for all resources referenced in the DOM to be download...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Should you really prioritize critical content server-side before metadata in SSR?

For a client/server hybrid rendering, prioritize Server-Side Rendering of critical content (title, meta description, canonical, main content) over secondary elements. The main content should always be...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you remove the canonical tag instead of correcting an incorrect one using JavaScript?

Providing an incorrect canonical tag in the initial HTML and then correcting it via client-side JavaScript can, albeit rarely, create confusion for Google. It is better not to have a canonical than to...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does URL Inspection really uncover canonical conflicts?

The URL Inspection tool in Search Console can serve as an indicator to detect potential confusion regarding the canonical tag declared by the user versus the one detected by Google....

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you add a noindex to JavaScript and CSS files?

Adding a noindex header to JavaScript or CSS files is generally not useful because these files are typically not indexed. This is not an issue, but not blocking these resources via robots.txt is more ...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that Google's cache is a trap for testing your page's rendering?

Google's cache: function (cache URL) is not a reliable testing tool. If the rendering in the cache seems incorrect, it means nothing. Use the URL Inspection Tool in Search Console to test rendering, n...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Do failed screenshots in Google Search Console really block indexing?

If the URL Inspection tool or headless Chromium tools cannot generate a screenshot of a long page, it is not an issue for indexing. Only the rendered HTML counts; the screenshot is optional and a gene...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you still be concerned about native lazy loading for SEO?

Googlebot Chromium supports native lazy loading of images (loading='lazy'), introduced in recent versions of Chrome....

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can JavaScript code splitting really enhance your crawl budget and improve your Core Web Vitals?

It is both possible and recommended to load JavaScript scripts only on the pages where they are used (for example, reCAPTCHA only on the contact form). The technique to look for is 'code splitting'....

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Why are your Lighthouse mobile scores consistently lower than desktop?

Mobile Lighthouse scores are generally lower than desktop because mobile processors are less powerful and the connection is often slower. Mobile represents the smallest common denominator; it is more ...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Can poorly implemented lazy loading really make your images invisible to Google?

If lazy loading only shows placeholder URLs in the rendered HTML instead of the actual image URLs, it indicates incorrect implementation and Google will not see the real images. Check the rendered HTM...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★★ Is it true that client-side JavaScript rendering really harms Google indexing?

Client-side rendered content through JavaScript (widgets, AJAX components) is visible and usable by the evergreen Googlebot, provided it appears in the final rendered HTML. There are no inherent issue...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Where can you find Google's official JavaScript SEO documentation?

Google maintains up-to-date and comprehensive documentation on JavaScript SEO in the Guides section of developers.google.com/search, including specific JavaScript SEO guides regularly updated by Marti...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really unify the mobile, desktop, and AMP experience to avoid penalties?

Using different user approaches for desktop, mobile, and AMP (e.g., layered navigation on mobile, standard URLs on desktop) is not inherently bad, but it unnecessarily complicates the site and increas...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Should you really avoid JavaScript for SEO, or is it just a persistent myth?

A WordPress site using a theme heavily dependent on JavaScript (no content without JS) can pose an SEO problem, but only if indexing or visibility issues arise. If the site operates correctly in Googl...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Can you really have a good FID while suffering from catastrophic TTI?

It is possible to have a good First Input Delay score while having poor Time to Interactive and Total Blocking Time scores, likely due to intermittent blocking of the main thread not captured by FID. ...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available

★★ Does FOUC really harm your organic SEO?

Flash of Unstyled Content happens because the browser can paint the content before the CSS loads by using its default stylesheet (system fonts, black headings, blue underlined links). Inlining the cri...

Jun 17, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available