Yearly, for the previous 18 or so years, Google’s John Mueller has been engaged on Christmas to offer assist to those that need assistance with their Google Search rating and website positioning issues.
This yr isn’t any completely different; John Mueller has responded to a number of issues on Reddit and different social media platforms at this time.
John Mueller particularly has accomplished this since a minimum of 2007, so eighteen years and counting, and has accomplished it once more this Christmas.
Listed below are the earlier years of John providing assist 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, and so they’re much more than simply native URLs + hreflang. The perfect time to repair worldwide website positioning points is earlier than they’re reside, the second finest time is, effectively, you already know.
It is a bit late, however I query whether or not you really want to separate your website throughout ccTLDs. Having them reserved is one factor, however by separating your website throughout separate domains, you each make issues tougher on your self, however you additionally make it tougher for serps to grasp every of those websites (as a result of they’re all separate websites). YMMV in fact.
There’s nothing incorrect with placing all of them into the identical Search Console account. That is what the site-picker is for.
For x-default, you need not create a brand new generic default model, you may simply decide a language that works effectively for many of your target market. Possibly that is English, but it surely would not have to be. You do not want a separate x-default website. The extra essential half is that you simply ensure that the hreflang parts are set accurately, together with all back-links, together with your essential pages individually. (FWIW you may arrange hreflang in sitemap information, if that makes it simpler to keep up)
(2) Favicon will not be seen within the google or another search engine on Reddit John wrote:
I might dig up Glenn Gabe’s “favi-gone” article – he covers just about the entire variations of what can go incorrect. Additionally, because you point out React, I might ensure that your favicon code is within the HTML template immediately, and never added with JavaScript (to reduce one other attainable level of failure — it is most likely tremendous to make use of client-side-rendering for favicons, however you may use them site-wide anyway, so would possibly as effectively maintain it easy).
(3) Google website positioning indexing conversion from PHP website to NextJS on Reddit John wrote:
First off – there are a selection of guides on the market for tips on how to cope with website migrations & website positioning – I might discover all of them and make plans. IMO the fundamentals are the identical throughout most guides, a number of the extra obscure stuff you would possibly have the ability to skip.
You completely have to arrange redirects, a minimum of for the essential pages as u/weblinkr talked about. With out establishing redirects, you may have a mixture of previous & new URLs within the search outcomes, and the previous URLs will drive site visitors to your 404 web page. It is regular for previous URLs to stay listed for some time, and you may typically wrestle to have all hyperlinks from ourside your web site up to date, so you really want to ensure they redirect.
Should you arrange redirects for this, ideally decide everlasting server-side redirects (308 or 301) – keep away from utilizing JavaScript redirects.
Should you’re additionally shifting photos, and your website will get loads of site visitors from picture search, ensure that to arrange redirects for the pictures too.
Since a transfer like this usually additionally implies that at minimal your pages’ layouts additionally change (assuming you may maintain the first content material the identical — with up to date hyperlinks in fact), understand that web page structure adjustments, in addition to website construction adjustments (the way in which you cope with inner linking resembling in header, sidebars, footer, and many others) could have website positioning results. This isn’t essentially unhealthy, however all of this principally means you must anticipate some seen adjustments in how the location’s content material is proven in search, undoubtedly short-term (even should you get the URL adjustments good, you will notice adjustments), maybe even longer-term (and to enhance for longer-term adjustments, let it cool down first).
Lastly, having an inventory of previous URLs is nice, however particularly for a non-trivially sized website (100+ pages? I am choosing a quantity), you may wish to have one thing that helps you examine & monitor semi-automatically. I might use some kind 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 effectively value it for a website migration, you save a lot time & get extra peace of thoughts. Lastly, relying on the location’s dimension, it’d make sense to maintain a static mirror round for debugging for some time.
(4) My Blogger web site will not 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, isn’t assured), but it surely may also be that a few of your pages are technically listed however simply do not present up.
One factor I’ve seen people get confused about is that “looking for your website’s title” might be very completely different relying on what you take into account your website’s title to be. In case your website’s title is “Aware_Yak6509 Productions” and in case your homepage is listed, then most likely you may discover your website within the search outcomes for that title (what else can a search engine moderately present?). Alternatively, in case your website’s title is “finest net on-line .com” then virtually definitely simply having your homepage listed will not be going to get your pages proven for these searches. The reason being primarily as a result of serps assume that individuals doing these searches (“finest net on-line”) are usually not truly searching for your homepage – it is a mixture of generic phrases, not one thing that uniquely identifies your homepage.
So in brief, sure, perceive how indexing technically works, as a result of it is the idea 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 website’s title” by way of search outcomes.
(5) John replied to an indexing query on Bluesky saying:
The device hides them within the search outcomes, it would not change indexing. Id examine in the event that they actually seem typically in search first (it is not provided that others out of your website will present as a substitute), but it surely’s tremendous too use the device should 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 put up issues on Christmas, these persons are most likely fairly involved.
Merry Christmas and Completely happy Holidays!
Discussion board discussions at threads above.
