How to Improve Google SEO with Office Hours Insights

TL;DR

Google's SEO Office Hours provide insights into improving your website's search performance. Key topics include the impact of penalized domains on outbound links, the effectiveness of off-page SEO submissions, and the importance of server-side rendering. Understanding these elements can help optimize your site for better visibility and ranking in search results.

Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING] JOHN: Hello, and welcome to another episode of Google's SEO Office Hours. In these videos, we aim to answer your questions about SEO and Google Search. These questions were submitted using the form linked below over the past month. To answer them, we have folks from Google's Search Quality team. Joining us today are Duy, Martin, Gar... Read More

Key Insights

• Penalized domains can affect outbound links, reducing their trustworthiness.
• URL inspection and rich results tools generate results similarly but can differ due to caching.
• Off-page SEO submissions to directories and social bookmarking sites are generally not worth the effort.
• Collection pages with 'noindex' tags may be due to settings in e-commerce platforms.
• The backend of a website does not significantly affect ranking, but performance does.
• A well-executed site move, including domain changes, should not lead to a lasting traffic loss.
• Google Search Console data is based on actual search queries shown to users, not theoretical data.
• Dynamic rendering adds complexity but can be suitable if it works for your setup.

Questions & Answers

Q: How does a penalized domain affect outbound links?

If a domain is penalized, it can affect the trustworthiness of its outbound links. Google's spam algorithms or manual actions demote such domains, leading to links from these sites being less trusted. This helps maintain the quality of anchor signals, ensuring that spammy sites do not negatively impact search results.

Q: Are results in the URL inspection tool and rich results testing tool generated differently?

Results in the URL inspection tool and the rich results testing tool are generally generated the same way. However, differences can occur due to caching. The live test options skip caching to provide a current view of the page, which can lead to timeouts affecting the rendered output. Despite these differences, both tools use the same infrastructure pass.

Q: Is doing off-page SEO submissions to directories and social bookmarking sites worth it?

Off-page SEO submissions to directories and social bookmarking sites are generally not worth the effort. These practices, popular in the past, are unlikely to provide significant benefits in today's SEO landscape. Instead, focusing on creating high-quality content and improving user experience is more effective for enhancing search performance.

Q: Why are collection pages excluded as 'noindex' on my site?

Collection pages may be excluded as 'noindex' due to specific settings or plug-ins in your site's e-commerce platform. This can involve multiple 'robots' metatags, where one contains 'noindex'. To address this, check the exact URL in Search Console and review the page's source code for 'robots' and 'Googlebot' metatags to identify the cause.

Q: Does the backend of a website matter for ranking?

The backend of a website, such as using WordPress or a custom-made CMS, does not significantly affect ranking. However, the performance and behavior, like server speed, do impact ranking. A slow server can negatively affect your site's search performance, so optimizing for speed and reliability is essential for maintaining good search rankings.

Q: What is the best way to change domain names without losing SEO rankings?

A well-executed site move that includes domain changes should not result in a lasting traffic loss. It's important to follow Google's guidelines on site moves, which involve setting up proper redirects and ensuring that all links and references are updated. Consistency and thoroughness in executing the move are key to maintaining SEO rankings.

Q: Can Google Search Console show incorrect queries?

Google Search Console's performance data is based on actual queries shown to users, not theoretical data. If unexpected queries appear, it may be due to specific circumstances like location or search type. Narrowing down report settings can help clarify these anomalies. Sometimes, these queries are temporary or context-specific, making them challenging to reproduce.

Q: Is server-side rendering suitable for JavaScript SEO?

Server-side rendering (SSR) is a suitable solution for JavaScript SEO, especially for search engines. It delivers the full HTML of a page to bots, ensuring content visibility. However, using client-side rendering for users adds complexity and maintenance challenges. While not optimal for new projects, SSR can work if it suits your setup and needs.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Google's SEO Office Hours address various SEO concerns, such as the impact of penalized domains and the effectiveness of off-page SEO submissions. Understanding these aspects can help improve your site's search performance. Additionally, the backend of a website generally doesn't affect ranking, but performance does.

• Insights from the session highlight that penalized domains can impact the trustworthiness of outbound links. Moreover, off-page SEO submissions to directories and social bookmarking sites are often not worth the effort, and dynamic rendering, while complex, can be a viable solution.

• The session also covers practical advice on handling issues like 'noindex' tags on collection pages, ensuring a smooth site move without traffic loss, and understanding the accuracy of Google Search Console data. These insights can aid in optimizing your website for better search visibility.