How Should Websites Handle SEO? English Google Webmaster Central Office Hours, September 11, 2020

TL;DR

Websites can improve their Google Search performance through high-quality content, relevant internal links, and sound technical SEO. John Mueller says linking useful blog posts to related product and category pages is essentially a best practice, while a WordPress blog on a Shopify subdomain can also work. The discussion also addresses guest posts, JavaScript, restored 404 URLs, image alt text, and CMS choices. Read on for specific guidance.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: All right, welcome, everyone, to today's Webmaster Central office-hours hangout. My name is John Mueller. I am a Search Advocate at Google. And part of what we do on the Search Relations team is to reach out and talk with webmasters and site owners about any issues they might have with regards to their websites and Google Search. A bu... Read More

Key Insights

• Interlinking within a website is essential for SEO, as it helps Google understand the site's structure and prioritize important pages.
• Guest posts should not be used solely for acquiring backlinks; focus on genuine content promotion.
• Google's core algorithm updates encompass various changes, not limited to link processing.
• Technical SEO elements like page speed and JavaScript handling can significantly impact search rankings.
• A/B testing is crucial for understanding user preferences and should be done carefully to avoid cloaking issues.
• Google treats URLs that return from a 404 status as new, without any previous ranking signals.
• For image SEO, the alt attribute should describe the image content, not just include page keywords.
• Using Blogger as a CMS is perfectly fine, and migrating to another platform like WordPress doesn't inherently improve SEO.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can a website improve its ranking on Google?

Focus on high-quality content, relevant internal linking, and a technically sound website with fast loading and proper JavaScript handling. Useful blog posts can attract backlinks and then link to related product or category pages, helping Google understand the overall site structure.

Q: Can backlinks to blog posts help product and category pages rank?

Yes. John Mueller describes publishing relevant industry content and linking from those blog posts to related product and category pages as essentially a best practice. The blog content can attract links more easily while directing users and Google toward important commercial pages.

Q: Can a Shopify store use a WordPress blog on a subdomain?

Yes, John Mueller says that setup is perfectly fine. Keeping the blog as close to the primary site as possible and interlinking the sections can help users experience them as one structure and help Google understand how the pages relate.

Q: Must a subdomain blog use the same design, server, or network as the main site?

No. Mueller says matching design is mainly a user consideration, while the blog does not need the same hosting setup or network for SEO. Being on the same domain and having clear links between the sections help Google recognize them as one larger entity.

Q: Does guest posting help with SEO?

Guest posting can support genuine content promotion and help reach a broader audience. It should not be used solely to acquire backlinks, and links placed primarily for SEO should be nofollow.

Q: How does Google handle a URL that returns after serving a 404 status?

Google treats a URL returning from a 404 status as a new URL without its previous ranking signals. Signals from elsewhere, including internal links and overall site quality, may help it build ranking again over time.

Q: What should an image alt attribute contain for SEO?

The alt attribute should accurately describe the image itself so Google can understand it for Image Search. It should not merely repeat page keywords, and keyword stuffing is not beneficial.

Q: Does moving a blog from Blogger to WordPress improve SEO?

Not inherently. Blogger is a viable CMS with reliable infrastructure, while moving to WordPress only makes sense if the change addresses specific site problems. A platform switch by itself does not provide an SEO boost.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Interlinking is crucial for SEO success as it helps Google understand site structure and prioritize important pages. Guest posts should focus on genuine content promotion rather than solely acquiring backlinks.

• Core algorithm updates involve various changes, including link processing. Technical SEO, like page speed and JavaScript handling, significantly impacts search rankings. A/B testing must be done carefully to avoid cloaking issues.

• Returning URLs from a 404 status are treated as new by Google, without previous ranking signals. Image SEO should focus on descriptive alt attributes. Blogger is a viable CMS option, and switching to WordPress doesn't inherently boost SEO.