English Google SEO office-hours from March 5, 2021

TL;DR

John Mueller addresses SEO queries on crawling, indexing, and site structure.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: All right. Welcome, everyone, to today's Google Search Central SEO Office Hours. My name is John Mueller. I'm a Search Advocate on the Search Relations team here at Google. And part of what we do are these Office Hour Hangouts where people can jump in, ask their questions around search, and we can try to find some answers. A bunch of ... Read More

Key Insights

• Core Web Vitals data is collected over 28 days, and delays in updates are due to data aggregation, not Search Console processing speed.
• Google recommends running your own tests parallel to Search Console to detect early regressions in Core Web Vitals.
• Creating city-level pages for similar content can risk being flagged as doorway pages; it's crucial to consolidate content where possible.
• For large-scale site migrations, ensure all redirects and internal links are updated to maintain SEO value.
• Google uses page rank to understand site structure, but there is no optimal number of links per page for SEO.
• Google's systems may incorrectly canonize URLs if they detect patterns suggesting duplicate content, even if HTML differs.
• Speakable structured data doesn't currently provide specific traffic insights in Search Console.
• Blocking JSON files in robots.txt can affect rendering and indexing of pages relying on those resources.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Google handle Core Web Vitals updates?

Core Web Vitals updates are based on data from the Chrome User Experience Report, aggregated over 28 days. This delay is due to the time it takes to collect and process the data, not Search Console's processing speed. Running your own tests can help detect issues earlier.

Q: What should be considered when creating city-level pages?

Creating city-level pages for similar content risks being flagged as doorway pages. It's important to consolidate content to avoid duplication. Google may interpret these pages as duplicates if they only differ by minor details like city names.

Q: What are the key considerations for large site migrations?

During site migrations, it's crucial to track URLs, update redirects, and ensure internal links point to new URLs. This helps maintain SEO value and prevents old URLs from being indexed longer than necessary. Properly setting up canonical tags is also important.

Q: How does Google use page rank in SEO?

Google uses page rank to understand a site's internal structure, considering the links on a page. There's no optimal number of links per page. A site with a user-friendly navigation structure will generally perform well in terms of search indexing.

Q: What issues can arise with canonicalization of URLs?

Google may incorrectly canonize URLs if it detects patterns suggesting duplicate content, even if HTML differs. This can happen when pages have similar content or URL patterns. It's important to ensure each URL has unique content or clear canonical signals.

Q: How can I track the impact of speakable structured data?

Currently, Search Console doesn't provide specific insights into traffic from voice search or the use of speakable structured data. The impact needs to be gauged through other means, as Google doesn't offer direct reporting for this data.

Q: What should be done about sitemap errors showing 'can't fetch'?

Sitemap errors with a 'can't fetch' status could be due to technical quirks on the server or Google's side. Providing specific URLs in the Google Help forum can help escalate and resolve these issues. Changing the sitemap URL might also reset Google's view.

Q: How does blocking JSON files affect website indexing?

Blocking JSON files in robots.txt impacts rendering and indexing of pages that rely on those resources. If content is only visible after rendering with JSON files, blocking them will prevent that content from being indexed. It's important to consider how blocking affects site functionality.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Mueller discusses Core Web Vitals, emphasizing the 28-day data aggregation period and suggests running parallel tests to catch early issues. He advises on managing city-level pages to avoid being flagged as doorway pages.

• During site migrations, Mueller stresses the importance of updating redirects and internal links to ensure proper indexing. He also explains Google's use of page rank and the non-existence of an optimal link number for pages.

• Mueller addresses issues with incorrect canonicalization due to perceived duplicate content patterns and provides insights into structured data, sitemap errors, and the impact of blocking JSON files on rendering.