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.
Quick SEO Quiz

Test your SEO knowledge in 5 questions

Less than a minute. Find out how much you really know about Google search.

🕒 ~1 min 🎯 5 questions
★★★ Is it really necessary to split your sitemap into multiple files to index a large site?
If you have a large number of URLs to index, it is acceptable to divide your sitemap into multiple sub-sitemaps as long as you adhere to Google's limit of 50,000 URLs per sitemap file....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you ditch HTML5 canvas to ensure your content gets indexed?
Using JavaScript to replace HTML5 text content with canvas text commands is not recommended. Google does not plan to index content in canvases. It is better to build a standard HTML page to ensure the...
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you really ditch noscript for rendering your content?
Noscript can be used as a fallback for rendering, but it should not be the only way to make content visible to Googlebot. JavaScript lazy-loading methods should be used concurrently....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does Googlebot really follow all the JavaScript links on your site?
Googlebot can follow links produced by JavaScript, provided they are generated with appropriate anchor tags. Non-standard elements, such as spans with onclick, will not be followed....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do full-screen hero images really block the indexing of your pages?
Full-page 'hero' images do not impact indexing if the content is in the DOM without requiring scrolling....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that Google really respects the canonical tag?
Canonical tags are viewed as indicators by Google. Google can choose a different canonical URL based on various signals such as inbound links and the actual content of the page....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does the initial load time of SPAs hurt your organic traffic?
For single-page applications, the initial load time is crucial as it often determines the user experience on the first visit, which can influence user retention....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Do Service Workers really enhance the crawling and indexing of your site?
Service Workers act as intermediaries between the application and the network, allowing for customized cache control and improved resource management in case of network disconnection....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Should you go all in on server-side rendering to excel in JavaScript?
Future innovations in JavaScript should focus on improving performance, particularly through server-side rendering and resource loading optimization....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does JavaScript really represent the future of web development for SEO?
JavaScript has become an essential pillar for developing rich, interactive web applications, and its use will continue to grow with the evolution of frameworks and tools....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Are Your JavaScript Links Wrecking Your Crawl Budget, and How Can You Fix It?
Use semantic HTML markup for links and ensure your links point to a correct URL. Avoid using pseudo-protocol URLs like 'javascript:' because they are not followed by crawlers. Make sure that links inc...
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ How do internal links really shape the topical relevance of your pages?
Links allow crawlers to explore the pages of your website and understand the structure and architecture of information. They are essential for search engines to determine which pages are relevant to a...
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is it true that URL fragments (#) are killing your crawl budget and how can you fix it?
Avoid using URL fragments if you want crawlers to discover and follow your links. Fragment identifiers are not designed to point to different content and are ignored by crawlers....
Apr 29, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Do AJAX calls really consume crawl budget or not?
When a site uses AJAX calls to load content, these resources can be indexed but do not affect the crawl budget. Use the HTTP X-Robots-Tag headers to prevent their indexing without impacting the render...
Apr 28, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Is Infinite Scroll Secretly Killing Your Organic Rankings?
Martin Splitt explained during a hangout that certain infinite scroll systems on websites could cause SEO damage. For example, when part of the content isn't loaded until the user scrolls down their s...
Apr 27, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should You Still Optimize the Noscript Tag for SEO in 2024?
Martin Splitt explained during a hangout that Google no longer supports the "noscript" tag, except for images. But even this approach could soon be reconsidered by removing this support for images, if...
Apr 20, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Should you worry that Googlebot doesn't support WebSockets?
Googlebot currently does not support WebSockets, and there are no imminent plans to do so. However, Google may consider support if the trend of websites significantly shifts towards this technology....
Apr 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ Does image lazy loading really impact Google indexing?
For lazy-loaded images, if the testing tools show that the rendered HTML contains high-quality versions, then they will be indexed. Using native lazy loading attributes is recommended to ensure that t...
Apr 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★ Does Google really index notifications that load on onload?
Notifications that load during the onload event can be indexed by Google. To prevent indexing, either hide the notification from users identified as Googlebot or require user interaction to display it...
Apr 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
★★★ What really defines cloaking according to Google?
Cloaking is defined as presenting different content to users compared to Googlebot with the intent to deceive. Minor differences, such as adjustments for rendering or mobile, are not considered cloaki...
Apr 09, 2020 ⚡ Analysis available
🔔

Get real-time analysis of the latest Google SEO declarations

Be the first to know every time a new official Google statement drops — with full expert analysis.

No spam. Unsubscribe in one click.