English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout

TL;DR

John Mueller discusses various webmaster-related queries.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: All right. Welcome everyone to today's Google Webmaster Central Office Hours Hangout. 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 those here in the Hangout-- a bunch of questions already got submitted. I reorganized them a lit... Read More

Key Insights

• John Mueller reassures that mentioning fraudulent URLs in articles does not negatively impact a site's credibility, as long as they are not actual links.
• AMP pages need to be valid with supported structured data types like blog posting or news articles to show up in Google search results.
• For separate desktop and mobile websites, ensure proper linking between versions to avoid indexing issues.
• Noindex pages generally do not rank in search results; proper linking between desktop and mobile pages is essential for indexing.
• Hreflang tags can be used to target niche language-country combinations, enhancing internationalization efforts.
• Domain authority is not a Google metric, but subdomains can be recognized as part of the same site if linked properly.
• AMP implementation is currently more beneficial for news content, but its usage may expand in the future.
• Google uses machine learning, like RankBrain, to better understand user queries, focusing on natural language processing.

Questions & Answers

Q: What should webmasters do about linking to fraudulent sites?

John Mueller advises that mentioning fraudulent URLs in articles is not problematic as long as they are not actual links. Google treats text mentions as nofollow, ensuring no page rank is passed to those sites.

Q: How can AMP pages be recognized in Google Search Console?

For AMP pages to be recognized, they must be valid AMP and use supported structured data types like blog posting or news articles. Google is working on expanding support for different types of markup.

Q: How should webmasters handle separate desktop and mobile websites?

Webmasters should ensure proper linking between desktop and mobile versions using rel canonical and rel alternate tags. This helps Google understand the relationship between pages and ensures proper indexing.

Q: Can a noindex page still rank in search results?

Generally, noindex pages do not appear in search results. If mobile pages have a noindex tag, they will be dropped from search results, and proper linking is essential for indexing.

Q: How can hreflang tags be used for internationalization?

Hreflang tags can target specific language-country combinations, like Russian in Brazil, allowing webmasters to provide a tailored experience for niche audiences.

Q: Does domain authority affect subdomains?

While domain authority is not a Google metric, subdomains can be recognized as part of the same site if linked properly, allowing Google to treat them as one entity.

Q: Is AMP implementation important for non-news sites?

Currently, AMP is more beneficial for news content, but its usage may expand. Non-news sites might focus on other improvements unless AMP becomes relevant for their content type.

Q: How does RankBrain improve search results?

RankBrain uses machine learning to better understand user queries, focusing on natural language processing. It helps Google interpret complex queries and improve search result relevance.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The hangout covers a wide range of webmaster-related topics, with John Mueller providing insights on handling fraudulent URLs, AMP implementation, and linking strategies for desktop and mobile versions.

• John emphasizes the importance of valid AMP pages for visibility in search results and discusses the role of hreflang tags in internationalization.

• The session also touches on Google's use of machine learning to improve search query understanding and the potential future expansion of AMP usage.