English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout

TL;DR

Discussion on SEO, indexing, and web technologies.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: Welcome, everyone, to today's Google Webmaster Central office hours. My name is John Mueller, I'm a Webmaster Trends Analyst here at Google in Switzerland. And part of what we do is talk with webmasters and publishers like the ones here in the Hangouts or ask any questions that post in the forums, on Twitter, wherever. So we try to ge... Read More

Key Insights

• Infinite scroll should use pushState to change URLs for better indexing; Googlebot doesn't trigger scroll events.
• AMP is prioritized for news articles, but not yet for entire websites; it's not a ranking factor.
• Site audits can reveal small issues with big effects; feedback from neutral parties is valuable.
• Avoid excessive crosslinking between owned sites to prevent spammy appearance.
• Single Page Apps need unique URLs for content; test setup with sample pages before full implementation.
• Google doesn't use Analytics data for ranking; structured data helps in understanding content.
• Interstitials on mobile can affect user experience but are not directly penalized in mobile-friendly tests.
• Quality content is promoted by Panda; Penguin focuses on demoting sites with low-quality links.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the best practice for indexing infinite scroll content?

The best practice is to use pushState to change URLs as users scroll. This ensures that each piece of content has a unique URL, which is crucial for indexing since Googlebot doesn't trigger scroll events.

Q: Is AMP favored over responsive design for better ranking?

AMP is prioritized for news articles but is not yet a replacement for entire websites. It is not a direct ranking factor, but appearing in AMP carousels can increase visibility in search results.

Q: How should webmasters handle crosslinking between owned sites?

While linking a handful of owned sites is typically fine, excessive crosslinking can appear spammy and resemble doorway sites. It's better to focus on creating strong, standalone websites.

Q: How does Google handle structured data and valid HTML?

Google uses structured data to better understand content, and while valid HTML is not a strict ranking factor, it aids in proper indexing and rendering, especially for structured data.

Q: What are the implications of using Single Page Apps (SPAs)?

SPAs can be indexed well if they use unique URLs for content. It's important to test the setup with sample pages to ensure they are crawlable and indexable by Google.

Q: Does Google use Google Analytics data for ranking?

No, Google does not use Google Analytics data in its ranking algorithms. Not all sites use Analytics, making it an inconsistent metric for ranking purposes.

Q: What is Google's stance on mobile interstitials?

While interstitials can affect user experience, they are not directly penalized in Google's mobile-friendly tests. The focus is on the actual content being mobile-friendly.

Q: How does Panda and Penguin affect site rankings?

Panda promotes high-quality content, indirectly affecting lower-quality sites. Penguin focuses on demoting sites with low-quality links, rather than promoting sites with high-quality links.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The hangout covered various topics including infinite scroll best practices, AMP prioritization, and the importance of site audits. John Mueller emphasized the need for unique URLs in Single Page Apps for better indexing.

• Mueller clarified that Google doesn't use Analytics data in its ranking algorithms and highlighted the importance of structured data for content understanding. The discussion also touched on the effects of interstitials on mobile user experience.

• Key insights included the importance of quality content as promoted by Panda, and the role of Penguin in handling low-quality links. Mueller addressed questions on crosslinking and the impact of images on search rankings.