Google SEO Office Hours: Insights on indexing, redirects, and international SEO

Google Search Central today released its latest SEO office hours video, addressing a wide range of questions from webmasters and SEO professionals. The session, led by Google's Search Relations team members John Mueller and Martin Splitt, covered numerous topics including indexing issues, international SEO, and the impact of various website elements on search performance. This monthly event provides valuable insights into Google's search algorithms and best practices for website optimization.

One of the primary concerns addressed in the session was the indexing of multilingual content. A webmaster asked why their English pages were consistently indexed while Swahili pages on the same site were not. Mueller explained that Google generally treats content similarly regardless of language, but emphasized the importance of proper internal linking. He recommended cross-linking between language versions to help Google understand the relationship between pages. This approach can be particularly beneficial when the English version of a page is well-established, as it can help draw attention to other language versions.

The session also delved into the intricacies of using nofollow tags and noindex directives. A common misconception addressed was whether extensive use of these tags signals low-quality content to Google. Splitt clarified that these tags do not inherently indicate poor quality; rather, they simply inform Google about how to handle specific links or pages. He explained that nofollow tags might be used for user-generated content or links to external sites whose future content is uncertain, while noindex directives are appropriate for pages that site owners prefer not to have indexed.

Another significant topic covered was the handling of 404 errors and their potential impact on site rankings. Mueller reassured webmasters that 404 errors do not negatively affect the rankings of other pages on a site. He advised against blindly redirecting old pages to new ones unless there is a genuine replacement. Instead, he suggested creating informative 404 pages that enhance user experience and potentially guide visitors to relevant content.

The discussion also touched on the use of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) for image hosting. While the response speed of CDN-hosted images does not directly determine their appearance in search results, Mueller noted that faster-loading images can improve user experience. He also highlighted additional benefits of CDNs, such as dynamic image resizing and optimization based on user browser capabilities.

International SEO was a recurring theme throughout the session. One participant inquired about targeting the U.S. market with a website based in France. Mueller explained that the geotargeting setting in Search Console is no longer available, but suggested considering a generic top-level domain instead of a country-specific one for broader appeal.

The complexities of managing multilingual and multi-regional websites were further explored. A question arose about using subdomains for different markets with similar content. Splitt explained that merely using different subdomains doesn't automatically make content unique or region-specific. He recommended using hreflang tags to indicate language and regional targeting, especially for content that might be similar across regions but with slight variations such as currency or pricing.

Website audits and their relevance to SEO were also discussed. Mueller cautioned that many free website audits often include outdated or irrelevant factors. He specifically mentioned that elements like text-to-code ratio and whether CSS and JavaScript are minified do not directly impact SEO, although the latter can affect user experience due to increased data transfer.

The session addressed several technical SEO issues, including the crawling of non-existent subfolders in URL paths. Mueller explained that Google typically doesn't attempt to crawl URL variations unless they are linked to, and even if such URLs return a 404 error, it's not problematic for the site's SEO.

Redirect issues, particularly for international websites using geo-IP redirects, were another focal point. Mueller strongly advised against using automatic geo-IP redirects, as they can prevent search engine crawlers from accessing all versions of a site. Instead, he recommended using banners to suggest local versions to users while allowing them to access any version of the site.

The impact of various on-page elements on SEO was also addressed. Mueller clarified that modifying meta titles and descriptions can indeed affect current rankings and how snippets are displayed in search results. However, he noted that the extent of these changes can vary and is often what SEOs focus on to improve search performance.

Lastly, the session touched on the limits of Google Search Console properties for agencies managing multiple clients. Unfortunately, Mueller confirmed that it's not possible to increase these limits within a single account.

Key points from the Google SEO office hours session

• Cross-linking between language versions can help with indexing multilingual content
• Nofollow tags and noindex directives don't inherently signal low-quality content to Google
• 404 errors don't negatively impact the rankings of other pages on a site
• CDN-hosted images' response speed doesn't directly determine search appearance, but can improve user experience
• Geotargeting settings are no longer available in Search Console
• Using different subdomains for markets doesn't automatically make content unique or region-specific
• Many free website audit tools include outdated or irrelevant SEO factors
• Google typically doesn't attempt to crawl URL variations unless they are linked to
• Geo-IP redirects can prevent search engine crawlers from accessing all versions of a site
• Modifying meta titles and descriptions can affect current rankings and snippet display
• Google Search Console property limits cannot be increased within a single account