English Google Webmaster Central "mobile" office-hours hangout

TL;DR

Discussion on mobile-friendly websites and related SEO practices.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: OK, welcome everyone to today's Google Webmaster Central office hours hangout. My name is John Mueller. I am a webmaster transanalyst here at Google in Switzerland and part of what I do is talk with webmasters like you and make sure that your question are answered and that your feedback goes back to the engineers and the feedback from... Read More

Key Insights

• John Mueller emphasizes the importance of creating mobile-friendly pages and discusses the impact of manual and algorithmic actions on site performance.
• Webmasters are advised to focus on unique content and niche markets to compete in crowded industries.
• Google's approach to mobile indexing includes treating smartphone content as part of the main index rather than having a separate mobile index.
• Responsive design is recommended for mobile sites, but adaptive and separate URLs are also supported by Google.
• The significance of hidden content is discussed, with emphasis on ensuring important content is visible to users.
• Google's algorithms consider the visibility of content, including text, links, and videos, when determining page relevance.
• The importance of not relying on site queries for diagnostics is highlighted, as they are not comprehensive indicators of site performance.
• Google's approach to ranking involves considering the overall quality and user experience of a site, rather than just technical factors.

Questions & Answers

Q: What happens if there's a manual action on a site?

Manual actions are visible in Webmaster Tools and typically expire over time. If there's no manual action visible, it's likely an algorithmic issue that may resolve with updates. Webmasters should continue improving their sites rather than waiting for changes.

Q: How does Google treat mobile-specific errors?

Google treats mobile-specific errors by flagging them in search results. If a desktop page exists but the mobile version redirects to a 404, it's seen as a mobile error. Webmasters should ensure mobile-friendly pages are available or show desktop pages if necessary.

Q: Is it advisable to canonicalize old URLs before redirecting?

Canonicalizing old URLs before a 301 redirect is only recommended if there's a technical issue with the redirect. Otherwise, a clear 301 redirect is preferred as it simplifies the site move process for Google.

Q: Are mobile usability factors ranking factors for mobile search?

Currently, mobile usability factors influence the 'mobile-friendly' label in search results. Google is experimenting with using these factors beyond labeling, but there's no specific announcement on them being direct ranking factors yet.

Q: Does hidden content affect indexing?

Hidden content is given less weight in indexing because it's not immediately visible to users. Important content should be visible from the start to ensure it's indexed and ranked appropriately.

Q: How does Google handle sites with similar content?

Google may treat sites with similar content as duplicates, potentially ranking only one. It's advisable to consolidate efforts into one strong site if possible, especially if there are more than two similar sites.

Q: What is the impact of mobile page speed on ranking?

Currently, desktop page speed is a ranking factor, but Google is considering mobile page speed as well. Webmasters should ensure mobile pages are fast and provide a good user experience to prepare for potential changes.

Q: How does Google handle app indexing?

For app indexing, Google requires proper setup according to guidelines. If there are issues with app content not appearing in search, webmasters should ensure the app is correctly configured and not blocked by robots.txt.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Mueller hosts a session discussing mobile-friendly sites, addressing questions about manual actions, algorithmic updates, and best practices for site migrations. He advises on the importance of visibility and quality content.

• The session covers Google's mobile indexing strategy, emphasizing that smartphone content is part of the main index. Responsive design is recommended, but adaptive and separate URLs are also supported.

• Webmasters are encouraged to focus on unique content and niche markets to stand out. Hidden content's impact on SEO is discussed, highlighting the need for important content to be visible to users.