English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout

TL;DR

John Mueller discusses various webmaster issues and solutions.

Transcript

all right welcome everyone to today's Web Master Central alas hours Hangouts on air my name is John Mueller I am a Web Master Trends analyst here at Google in Switzerland and part of what we do are these Web Master Hangouts um as always if there are any of you who are kind of new to these Hangouts that want to get started with the first questions f... Read More

Key Insights

• Unicode fonts are preferred for indexing, but non-Unicode fonts can still be recognized by Google if necessary.
• Quality raters do not directly impact search rankings, but they influence algorithmic improvements that may consider website reputation.
• Structured data markup is essential for rich results, but having structured data does not guarantee its appearance in search results.
• Algorithm updates aim to improve search result quality, and significant site improvements may be necessary if rankings drop.
• Site speed can affect crawl frequency but not indexing; slow sites may experience reduced crawl rates.
• The mobile-first index aims to limit changes, ensuring current canonical and hreflang setups continue to work.
• Duplicate content does not inherently lower site quality, but sites should offer unique value to stand out.
• Google does not track user bookmarks or direct visits for search ranking, but encourages creating valuable content users return to.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does Google handle non-Unicode fonts?

Google tries to recognize non-Unicode fonts and map them to Unicode internally for indexing. This allows users searching for content in non-Unicode fonts to find relevant results. However, using Unicode fonts is ideal for consistent processing across different search engines.

Q: Do quality raters affect search rankings?

Quality raters do not directly impact search rankings. They evaluate algorithmic ideas and provide feedback, which may indirectly influence algorithm updates. Although raters don't flag sites for reputation, improved reputation can enhance site performance in future algorithm updates.

Q: What should be done if structured data is not showing in search results?

Ensure structured data is correctly implemented and tested using the structured data testing tool. However, the presence of structured data does not guarantee it will appear in search results. Google's algorithms consider multiple factors, and structured data is just one of them.

Q: Why might a website drop in rankings after an algorithm update?

Algorithm updates aim to improve search quality by prioritizing relevant content. If a site drops in rankings, it may indicate underlying quality issues. Webmasters should assess their site's overall quality and relevance, possibly seeking external feedback for objective improvement suggestions.

Q: Does site speed affect indexing?

Site speed does not directly affect indexing, but it can influence crawl frequency. Slow-loading pages may lead Google to reduce the number of URLs it crawls from the site, potentially delaying updates to indexed content.

Q: Will mobile-first indexing affect canonical and hreflang setups?

The mobile-first index is designed to minimize changes, allowing existing canonical and hreflang setups to continue functioning as intended. Webmasters should ensure their mobile pages have equivalent content and metadata to their desktop pages to maintain consistency.

Q: Does duplicate content lower site quality?

Duplicate content does not inherently lower site quality, but sites that heavily reuse content without adding unique value may be perceived as lower quality. Webmasters should focus on providing unique, valuable content that attracts users independently of duplicated material.

Q: Does Google track user bookmarks or direct visits for ranking?

Google does not track user bookmarks or direct visits for search ranking purposes. Instead, webmasters are encouraged to create compelling content that users want to revisit and recommend, ultimately increasing site engagement and potential ranking improvements.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• John Mueller from Google Switzerland conducts a Webmaster Central office hours hangout, addressing various webmaster-related questions. Topics include Unicode fonts, quality raters, structured data, algorithm updates, and mobile-first indexing. He emphasizes the importance of unique content and user engagement for better search performance.

• Participants inquire about issues like non-Unicode fonts in Burmese, the impact of quality raters, and structured data discrepancies. John explains that while structured data is crucial, its presence doesn't guarantee rich results. He advises focusing on site quality and user satisfaction to improve search rankings.

• The discussion covers mobile-first indexing, duplicate content, and site speed's effect on crawling. John reassures that existing canonical and hreflang setups will remain valid post-mobile-first index. He encourages webmasters to enhance site uniqueness and value, ensuring users have compelling reasons to return.