Link Exchanges Violate Google Guidelines – Relevance Doesn’t Matter
John Mueller discusses Google’s policy on link exchanges and how its algorithm deals with them
About
I have 25 years hands-on experience in SEO, evolving along with the search engines by keeping up with the latest research, patents and what’s happening in the search results.
Need a consultation? Contact me at roger@martinibuster.com or use the contact form at: Martinibuster.com
I recently presented at Pubcon Vegas in October and March 2024, and over the past 20 years have presented at search conferences across the United States: Pubcon, SMX, Affiliate Summit & SES (Search Engine Strategies) and have served as a Head Judge at the U.S. Search Awards .
Articles
Google Affirms the Value of Outreach Link Building
Google’s John Mueller expressed approval of asking for links as a link building and promotional strategy… within limits
When Revamping a Site Can Negatively Impact Rankings
Google’s John Mueller explains the kinds of website changes that could impact search performance including seeing the site as brand new
Google Offers 5 Content Creation Tips for Success
Tips for creating a sustainable content strategy as suggested by successful content creators
Google Search Quality: Hacking the Most Problematic Spam
Google discusses the most problematic kind of spam and how to prevent it
Google Offers Advice on Top Ranked Spammy Competitors
What to do about top ranked competitors who are breaking all the rules and laughing all the way to the bank
Google: Improving 3rd Party Metrics Won’t Boost Rankings
A member of Google’s Search Quality team said he’s never seen search rankings impact from improving 3rd party authority scores
What to Do About Old Low Quality Content
Google’s John Mueller answers the question about what to do about old content that is of a very low quality
How to Protect a WordPress Site from Hackers
For many WordPress sites, simply taking small steps to secure a website is enough to keep the sites from getting hacked. Read about it here.
Facebook Announces Bulletin – New Monetization Platform for Writers
Bulletin.com by Facebook offers websites for writers to engage with and monetize their readers, leveraging Facebook to increase their reach
Google Announces Spam Update Part 2
Google announced the second anti-spam update is rolling out today. Similar to to last week’s spam update it will finish rolling out the same day
Google Showing “Reliable Sources” Prompt on Trending Searches
Google is showing a new prompt on trending searches when there aren’t enough reliable sources
Google Knowledge Panel Shows Wrong Man as Serial Killer
A flaw in how Google Knowledge Panel matches images may have caused an innocent man to be identified as a serial killer
Google Analytics 4 Backlash: GA4 “Sucks” and is “Horrible”
Search marketing community declares GA4 to be awful, unusable, and so bad it can bring you to tears. What is going on?
Facebook Introduces Live Audio Rooms and Podcasts
Monetize live audio events with Live Audio Rooms and find an audience with Podcasts – New on Facebook
Why Google Ranks Plagiarism Over Original Content
John Mueller explains why Google may choose to reward article thieves by ranking stolen content instead of the original article
John Mueller on Keyword Placement on a Page
Google’s John Mueller answered the question of where to put focus keywords on a very long web page
Google FAQ Rich Results Limited to Two Per Page Rolling Out
FAQ rich results limited to 2 FAQs per page. The update to the rich results is still in the process of rolling out
Why Mobile and Desktop Rankings Are Different
Google’s John Mueller explains why search results can differ in mobile and desktop and the factors tending to influence those rankings
PageSpeed Insights Now Shows More Field Data
Google announced that PageSpeed Insights will now publish all available field data even if some of the data is missing
Why GSC Shows Crawl Errors When Page Loads Normally
Google’s John Mueller explains why Google Search Console shows crawl errors even though the web pages work fine
Brave Search Engine – Early Preview and Comparison
Brave Search may present a challenge to Google. Preview a new privacy-first search engine that respects publishers and is committed to unbiased results
Google Bans Specific Verticals from YouTube Masthead
Reports surfacing that YouTube is banning some verticals from advertising on the coveted YouTube Masthead
Google’s Mueller on Ranking Impact of Poor HTML, Spelling and Grammar
John Mueller provides a rule of thumb for bad HTML and explains how spelling mistakes and poor grammar are quality issues
John Mueller Answers What to Do About Link Building
Google’s John Mueller responds to question asking what to do about link building
Google Shows How to Create Web Stories in 5 Steps
New video and blog post shows how easy it is to create a web story in 5 steps and 5 minutes
New Instagram Tools for Creators to Earn More Income
Opportunities for affiliate earnings, easier shop creation and more fan contributions will help creators build a career in social media
WordPress 5.8 Will Be Faster with WebP Support
WordPress 5.8 arriving July 2021 will speed up websites by supporting the WebP image format. Image conversions may be on the way
Google on How to Use Keywords in Content
John Mueller answers a question about how many times to use keywords on a page and the value of words mapping to the topic
Report Claims Decline in News Media Earnings Not Google’s Fault
Report commissioned by Google finds nearly 50% of Western European News Media revenue loss is due to losing classifieds ad business