During a recent podcast of “Search Off the Record,” members of Google’s Search Relations team shared insights regarding forthcoming updates to Google’s SEO Starter Guide.
Comprised of John Mueller, Lizzie Harvey, and Gary Illyes, the team noted that the guide currently maintains a 91% satisfaction rating among users. Nevertheless, they expressed the belief that it requires a revamp to streamline outdated guidance and better cater to its primary audience of beginners.
Outlined below are some of the key changes highlighted in the podcast:
The Search Rankings and HTML Structure
The team explore the significance of HTML structure in search engine rankings. They clarified that while the proper utilization of HTML elements, such as titles, can be beneficial for rankings, it does not wield as significant an impact as commonly perceived.
Illyes remarked;
“Using headings and a good title element and having paragraphs, yeah, sure. It’s all great. But other than that, it’s pretty futile to think about how the page… or how the HTML is structured.”
Dispelling prevalent misconceptions within the SEO community.
The Misconceptions on Domain Names: Prioritizing Branding Over Keywords
The team engaged in a discussion regarding the ongoing dispute regarding the influence of domain names on SEO. They advocated for prioritizing branding over integrating keywords in the domain name when selecting a name for your website. Their stance emphasized that establishing a memorable brand should take precedence over attempting to optimize domain names for search engines.
This guidance reflects a change towards a brand-centric approach to domain name selection within SEO strategies.
The Misconceptions on Meta Tags
The team deliberated on whether to address meta tags such as meta keywords in the updated SEO Starter Guide. They leaned towards omitting this topic to prevent unnecessary concern among site owners, as meta keywords have minimal impact on Google Search rankings.
Gary explained,
“I feel very conflicted about documenting anti patterns because we perhaps also give ideas about like new worries for site owners to think about.”
This underscored their cautious stance on the inclusion or exclusion of meta tags. Ultimately, the decision was made to concentrate the guide on optimizing factors with more substantial influence.
Tackling Misunderstandings Directly
The discussion dives into strategies for the team to confront prevalent misconceptions in SEO, particularly the notion that using Google products enhances search rankings.
Consensus was reached within the team that the SEO Starter Guide should directly address these misconceptions to counter the dissemination of false information.
In Summary
As the Google Search Relations team prepares to unveil the revised SEO Starter Guide, this recent podcast episode has offered the SEO community a preview of the impending alterations. They aim to streamline and contemporize the guide while dispelling prevalent SEO fallacies.
The objective is to furnish practical and insightful SEO guidance tailored for starters and seasoned professionals SEO experts.
Would you like to read more about “Updates on Branding and Keywords in Google’s SEO Starter Guide” related articles? If so, we invite you to take a look at our other tech topics before you leave!
Use our Internet marketing service to help you rank on the first page of SERP.
