Google's Nofollow Update released on 1st March, 2020. Nofollow links now treated as a hint
The change to how Google treats nofollow links went live today. Nofollow links can now be used as a hint for crawling, indexing, and ranking purposes. Previously, they were not.
Google Patent shows how they classify websites for EAT, Another quiet day in the SERPs, and more. - Live News
Live SEO News coverage on 25th February, 2020. Rolling coverage of the day’s SEO News and Developments as they happen.
Mueller: Google only uses one price per URL from structured data. Or do they?
Webmaster Trends Analyst, John Mueller says that it is not possible to have more than one price per URL. We show one example where this is not the case.
Google Patent : Website Representation Vectors used to classify a website's Expertise, Authority, and Trust.
A newly released Google Patent may be used to classify a website's Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EAT) for particular queries. EAT is typically required for YMYL topics, such as health and finance.
SERPs quiet over the weekend, Crawl Error Source Report not coming back, and Limit Hreflang pages - Live News
Live SEO News coverage on 24th February, 2020. Rolling coverage of the day’s SEO News and Developments as they happen.
Google Webmaster Hangout Notes - February 21st, 2020.
Summary of the regular Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout, hosted by Webmaster Trends Analyst, John Mueller.
Google doesn't crawl content behind JavaScript Load More buttons. Infinite scroll not much better.
Google's John Mueller has confirmed that they no longer index content behind JavaScript 'load more' buttons. Also, Mueller confirmed that they might not index all content loaded via the infinite scroll technique either.
Legacy Webmaster Tools Crawl Error Report showing 404 sources may not be coming back
Google's John Mueller said that the ability to see the sources of 404s in the old crawl error report might not be coming back, although there have been some discussions about it.
Google: Using Hreflang for all possible languages and countries might be a mistake.
In response to a Reddit thread, Google's John Mueller said that you should limit the number of pages created with hreflang to those that are absolutely critical & valuable.
Voice Search Statistics for 2020
Voice Search is becoming increasingly popular. Here are some statistics showcasing why you need to start preparing in 2019 for the voice search era.
Does Google index PDF files and content?
John Mueller, Webmaster Trends Analyst at Google, confirmed that they index PDF files and content in the Google Search just like they would any other webpage.
Looks like Google rolled out a Small Algorithm Update on February 18th, 2020
The SERP trackers have shown increased volatility around the 18th February, which when combined with chatter on various SEO forums indicate that a small Google update has taken place.
SEO Title Tag: Definitive guide including title tag length and other best practices
The title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO elements. We look at the best practices such as title length, keyword usage, separators, and more.
Is Page Speed a Google Ranking Factor?
Page Speed is now a ranking factor for mobile search results. This ranking factor penalizes slow mobile pages, rather than giving a boost to faster pages.
AMP vs Responsive Design. Is AMP a valid replacement?
Former Googler, Pedro Dias said on Twitter that AMP should not be used as a replacement for a mobile-friendly website. John Muller and others disagreed.
Is Domain Age In SEO an important Google Ranking Factor?
How important is domain age for SEO? We take a look at whether Google considers domain age a ranking factor, and whether new domains are actively ranking on page one of the SERPs.
What percentage of searches are performed on mobile devices?
According to a recent report from Hitwise, nearly 60 percent of all Online Searches are now carried out on a mobile device, with some sectors reaching 72 percent.
Are Keywords in the URL a Google Ranking Factor?
We take a detailed look as to whether including a keyword in the URL is a ranking factor. Get the answer straight from Google and other experts.
Are Keywords in the title tag a Google Ranking Factor?
We take a detailed look as to whether including a keyword in the title tag is a ranking factor. Get the answer straight from Google and other experts.
Are Formatted Words a Google Ranking Factor?
We take a detailed look as to whether using formatted words, such as Bold, Italic is an SEO ranking factor, including its impact and other considerations.
Does AMP affect SEO and is it a Ranking Factor?
We take a look as to whether implementing AMP is a Google ranking factor and how it may effect your SEO Strategy.
Are Keywords at the beginning of the URL a Google Ranking Factor?
We take a detailed look as to whether placing a keyword at the beginning of an URL is a ranking factor. Get the answer straight from Google and other experts.
Is Keyword Density a Google Ranking Factor?
We take a look as to whether Keyword Density is a Google ranking factor. Get the answer straight from Google and other experts.
Google: Don't build too many links too fast or we may ignore them.
Google said that if you build backlinks too fast their algorithms might just ignore them. You might also receive a manual spam penalty if reviewed by their webspam team.
Google: When Buying Links Use rel=nofollow or rel=sponsored
Buying backlinks is against the Google Webmaster Guidelines. As such, you should use rel=nofollow or rel=sponsored SEO Signals, such as PageRank from being passed.
Google's new Site Kit WordPress Plugin provides analytics directly in your dashboard
Google has launched Site Kit, a new WordPress plugin that helps you discover how people use your site, how to improve, and how to monetize your content, all from within your dashboard.
Google: Sitemap showing for search queries indicates Site Quality Issues
If you are Googling something specific on your site and one of the results is your XML sitemap, then it is likely that you have site quality issues.
Google: Don't use Crawlers to build Sitemaps. Automate them.
Google's John Mueller replied to a Reddit Thread with some advice on how best to build an XML sitemap, including warning against crawler-based
Cameos on Google App Shows Q&A Knowledge Graph for Universities
Originally designed for celebrities and public figures to share answers to popular questions directly on Google, it has now been spotted being used by UC Davis University.
PageRank Sculpting with Nofollow Links a Waste of Time, says Google's John Mueller.
Using internal Nofollow links for PageRank Sculpting is a waste of time and does not work.
Use Multiple Sitemaps to Monitor Different Parts of Your Site, says Google's John Mueller.
Google recommends using multiple sitemaps so you can filter issues in the Search Console to parts of your site.
Google Algorithm Update on the 3rd of October 2019
The SERP tracking tools show increased volatility between the 3rd and 5th of October 2019 suggesting a Google Update.
"September 2019 Core Google Update" - September 24, 2019
Google has announced that a Core Google Algorithm Update was released into the wild on the 24th of September. We take an in-depth look.
Google Update around the 13th - 18th of September 2019
There has been a spike in volatility in the SERP Trackers indicating a Google Algorithm Update between the 13th - 18th of September 2019.
Google Algorithm Update on the 5th of September 2019
The SERP tracking tools show increased volatility caused by a possible rollback of the 29th August Google Algorithm Update.
Large Google Update on the 29th of August 2019
A significant spike in the SERP Trackers indicates a Google Algorithm Update, with Dwell Time suggested as a ranking factor.