English Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout from August 9, 2019

TL;DR

This video covers the Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout from August 9, 2019, where John Mueller, a webmaster trends analyst at Google, answers various questions from webmasters and publishers. Topics include geoblocking, domain redirects, Google Search Console updates, indexing issues, and the impact of using certain SEO practices. The session provides insights into how Google handles different aspects of web search and website management.

Transcript

JOHN MUELLER: All right. Welcome, everyone, to today's Webmaster Central Office Hours Hangouts. My name is John Mueller. I am a webmaster trends analyst at Google here in Switzerland. And part of what we do are these Office Hour Hangouts, where webmasters and publishers can join in and ask questions around Web Search and their website. As always, ... Read More

Key Insights

• Geoblocking can affect how Googlebot crawls a site, especially if content is restricted to certain regions. Googlebot should be treated like any other user from the US.
• Redirecting a main domain to a subdirectory does not require changing the domain in Google Search Console. Both domains can be verified, and data will be available for both.
• The URL inspection tool in the new Google Search Console may not show blocked resources as the old version did. This feature was dropped due to improved mobile friendliness across the web.
• Using script-based automation for metadata is not considered a bad practice as long as the resulting HTML pages are well-formed and unique.
• Google does not use meta keywords for search ranking. Including them is redundant but not harmful.
• Canonical tags are considered on a per-page basis. Google may ignore them if other signals suggest a different canonical URL is more appropriate.
• Excluded pages in Search Console do count towards crawl budget, but they are crawled less frequently than valid pages, minimizing their impact.
• Using Instagram embeds for images can lead to a decrease in Image Search traffic due to the no-image-index meta tag used by Instagram.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the impact of geoblocking on Googlebot?

Geoblocking can affect how Googlebot crawls a site, especially if content is restricted to certain regions. Googlebot should be treated like any other user from the US, as Google primarily crawls from the US. To allow Googlebot to access content, webmasters can specify country availability for video content using markup.

Q: Do domain redirects affect Search Console data?

Redirecting a main domain to a subdirectory does not require changing the domain in Google Search Console. Both domains can be verified, and data will be available for both. Redirects to lower-level pages are acceptable, and webmasters can choose to verify the subdomain or subdirectory if desired.

Q: Why was the blocked resources feature removed from Search Console?

The blocked resources feature was removed because most sites no longer encounter issues with blocked resources due to improved mobile friendliness. Google decided to drop the feature as it was less relevant, but feedback indicates it was useful, and this will be passed on to the team.

Q: Is using script-based automation for metadata a bad practice?

Using script-based automation for metadata is not considered a bad practice as long as the resulting HTML pages are well-formed and unique. Google can process these pages normally, and it is different from using JavaScript to update titles and descriptions, which can be problematic.

Q: Are meta keywords still used by Google for ranking?

Google does not use meta keywords for search ranking. Including them is redundant but not harmful. Some webmasters use them for personal organization or content focus, but they do not influence search rankings.

Q: How does Google handle canonical tags?

Canonical tags are considered on a per-page basis. Google may ignore them if other signals suggest a different canonical URL is more appropriate. The decision is based on multiple factors, including URL information and content, rather than the canonical tag alone.

Q: Do excluded pages count towards crawl budget?

Excluded pages in Search Console do count towards crawl budget, but they are crawled less frequently than valid pages, minimizing their impact. Google prioritizes important URLs over excluded ones when crawl budget is limited, so the effect is generally minimal.

Q: What is the effect of using Instagram embeds for images?

Using Instagram embeds for images can lead to a decrease in Image Search traffic due to the no-image-index meta tag used by Instagram. This tag prevents images from being indexed with the page, reducing visibility in Image Search. Webmasters need to balance the benefits of social media embeds with image indexing needs.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video is a Google Webmaster Central office-hours hangout session hosted by John Mueller. It addresses various webmaster-related topics, including geoblocking, domain redirects, and Google Search Console updates. John Mueller provides insights into how Google handles these issues and offers guidance to webmasters.

• Key topics discussed include the impact of geoblocking on Googlebot, the handling of domain redirects in Google Search Console, and the removal of certain features in the new Search Console. John Mueller also explains how canonical tags are processed and the implications of using script-based metadata.

• The session highlights the redundancy of meta keywords for search ranking and addresses concerns about crawl budget related to excluded pages. It also discusses the effects of using Instagram embeds for images and the importance of maintaining domain redirects to preserve link value.