Yearly, for the previous 18 or so years, Google’s John Mueller has been engaged on Christmas to supply help to those that need assistance with their Google Search rating and website positioning considerations.
This yr is not any completely different; John Mueller has responded to a number of considerations on Reddit and different social media platforms at the moment.
John Mueller particularly has finished this since at the very least 2007, so eighteen years and counting, and has finished it once more this Christmas.
Listed below are the earlier years of John providing help on Christmas. He did it final yr in 2024, after which in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2007.
Listed below are the threads John responded to over Christmas:
(1) increasing my SaaS utilizing a number of ccTLDs on Reddit John wrote:
Taking a step again, I might go searching for some worldwide website positioning guides. There are some nice ones on the market, they usually’re much more than simply native URLs + hreflang. The very best time to repair worldwide website positioning points is earlier than they’re reside, the second finest time is, properly, .
It is a bit late, however I query whether or not you really want to separate your web site throughout ccTLDs. Having them reserved is one factor, however by separating your web site throughout separate domains, you each make issues tougher on your self, however you additionally make it tougher for search engines like google and yahoo to grasp every of those websites (as a result of they’re all separate websites). YMMV after all.
There’s nothing unsuitable with placing all of them into the identical Search Console account. That is what the site-picker is for.
For x-default, you needn’t create a brand new generic default model, you may simply decide a language that works properly for many of your audience. Perhaps that is English, nevertheless it does not have to be. You do not want a separate x-default web site. The extra vital half is that you simply ensure the hreflang parts are set accurately, together with all back-links, together with your vital pages individually. (FWIW you may arrange hreflang in sitemap information, if that makes it simpler to take care of)
(2) Favicon shouldn’t be seen within the google or some other search engine on Reddit John wrote:
I might dig up Glenn Gabe’s “favi-gone” article – he covers just about all the variations of what can go unsuitable. Additionally, because you point out React, I might ensure your favicon code is within the HTML template immediately, and never added with JavaScript (to reduce one other potential level of failure — it is in all probability tremendous to make use of client-side-rendering for favicons, however you may use them site-wide anyway, so may as properly hold it easy).
(3) Google website positioning indexing conversion from PHP web site to NextJS on Reddit John wrote:
First off – there are a selection of guides on the market for methods to cope with web site migrations & website positioning – I might discover all of them and make plans. IMO the fundamentals are the identical throughout most guides, a few of the extra obscure stuff you may be capable to skip.
You completely must arrange redirects, at the very least for the vital pages as u/weblinkr talked about. With out organising redirects, you may have a mixture of previous & new URLs within the search outcomes, and the previous URLs will drive visitors to your 404 web page. It is regular for previous URLs to stay listed for some time, and you may usually battle to have all hyperlinks from ourside your web site up to date, so you really want to verify they redirect.
If you happen to arrange redirects for this, ideally decide everlasting server-side redirects (308 or 301) – keep away from utilizing JavaScript redirects.
If you happen to’re additionally shifting photographs, and your web site will get a number of visitors from picture search, ensure to arrange redirects for the photographs too.
Since a transfer like this typically additionally signifies that at minimal your pages’ layouts additionally change (assuming you may hold the first content material the identical — with up to date hyperlinks after all), take into account that web page structure adjustments, in addition to web site construction adjustments (the best way you cope with inner linking reminiscent of in header, sidebars, footer, and so on) could have website positioning results. This isn’t essentially dangerous, however all of this principally means you need to anticipate some seen adjustments in how the positioning’s content material is proven in search, undoubtedly short-term (even in case you get the URL adjustments good, you will notice adjustments), even perhaps longer-term (and to enhance for longer-term adjustments, let it quiet down first).
Lastly, having an inventory of previous URLs is nice, however particularly for a non-trivially sized web site (100+ pages? I am selecting a quantity), you may wish to have one thing that helps you examine & monitor semi-automatically. I might use some form of web site crawler earlier than you migrate (to get a clear state from earlier than), and to make use of the clear state to check all of the redirects (which you are able to do with many crawlers), and examine the ultimate state (once more utilizing an internet site crawler). Web site crawlers like Screaming Frog are low cost, and properly price it for a web site migration, you save a lot time & get extra peace of thoughts. Lastly, relying on the positioning’s measurement, it would make sense to maintain a static mirror round for debugging for some time.
(4) My Blogger web site shouldn’t be displaying on Google even after submitting sitemap – what am I lacking? on Reddit John wrote:
People listed below are largely specializing in indexing (which, sure, is rarely assured), nevertheless it will also be that a few of your pages are technically listed however simply do not present up.
One factor I’ve seen of us get confused about is that “trying to find your web site’s title” will be very completely different relying on what you think about your web site’s title to be. In case your web site’s title is “Aware_Yak6509 Productions” and in case your homepage is listed, then in all probability you may discover your web site within the search outcomes for that title (what else can a search engine moderately present?). Then again, in case your web site’s title is “finest internet on-line .com” then virtually actually simply having your homepage listed shouldn’t be going to get your pages proven for these searches. The reason being primarily as a result of search engines like google and yahoo assume that folks doing these searches (“finest internet on-line”) should not really searching for your homepage – it is a mixture of generic phrases, not one thing that uniquely identifies your homepage.
So briefly, sure, perceive how indexing technically works, as a result of it is the premise for visibility, and perceive that some issues take time & extra proof to be picked up. But additionally, take into consideration what’s cheap for “your web site’s title” by way of search outcomes.
(5) John replied to an indexing query on Bluesky saying:
The instrument hides them within the search outcomes, it does not change indexing. Id examine in the event that they actually seem usually in search first (it is not on condition that others out of your web site will present as an alternative), nevertheless it’s tremendous too use the instrument in case you simply don’t desire these urls proven anymore.
It’s so good to see John do that yearly as a result of for somebody to submit considerations on Christmas, these individuals are in all probability fairly involved.
Merry Christmas and Blissful Holidays!
Discussion board discussions at threads above.
