In the new video #AskGoogleWebmasters a Google employee John Mueller answered 7 questions about SEO. John has already answered some of these questions before, but it will not be superfluous to read this information again.
1. What s the difference between 301 and 302 redirects?
Both serve to redirect to another resource. The difference between these redirects is subtle, but it still exists. A 301 redirect indicates that Google will henceforth constantly redirect the user to a new address. Running a 302 redirect means a temporary redirect. If possible, it is best to use the correct redirect, but this has no impact on SEO anyway.
2. What is the difference between 404 and 410 codes?
Both codes tell the search engine that the page has disappeared. In theory, the 410 code may be slightly faster, however, practice does not support this assumption.
3. How long should the Description meta tag or Title tag be?
In this case, there is no concept of a fixed length. It s better to focus on making your tags useful, unique, and interesting. Google will make your page stand out from others if you provide people with the information they are looking for.
4. Can characters be used in titles?
Google, as a rule, does not show users symbols that can mislead people. Also, not many people search for symbols on the search engine. However, there are no restrictions on the use of characters in titles.
5. What role do keywords play in URLs?
For web pages, words in URLs do not play a big role, but most CMSs still make it easy to generate URLs from words. The recommendation in this case will be the following: if you already have keywords in the URL, use them, if not, it s okay. Keep in mind that Google uses words in image titles. Better if you rename the header image-1138.gif, for example, to cuterobot.gif
6. Which ending for pages is better – PHP or HTML?
Both are fine to use, but it s best not to change HTML to PHP and vice versa unless you already plan on making major adjustments.
7. Is there a secret to successful ranking?
The first essential step towards ranking well is creating a technically flawless site with quality content. In this case, you can draw an analogy with baking the best cookies. Driven by this goal, you will surely use only quality ingredients and rely solely on the recipes of first-class bakers.
Come up with a way that will make you stand out from others, use good technique, do something that will be a source of pride for you in the future. In the same way that you will not judge the taste of a cookie by weight, search engine algorithms will not count the number of words on a page. If you want Google to recommend your site, it must be truly original.
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