Notes from the Google Webmaster Hangout on the 10th of November 2017.
Search Console Change of Address Takes a Couple of Days
A change of address submitted to Search Console takes a couple of days to take effect when a redirect is in place.
Markup Needs to Remain the Same on Desktop and Mobile Page for Mobile-first
Identical content across mobile and desktop versions of a page isn’t enough to comply with Mobile-first Indexing. Hidden markup like structured data, hreflang tags and links for AMP should also be equivalent.
Website Developer Links are Ignored by Google
Google ignores website developer links in a footer regardless of whether they are followed.
Some Ranking Manipulations are Ignored by Google
Some incidents of ranking manipulation are ignored by Google, like keyword stuffing, and may rank these pages anyway.
A Small Proportion of Thin Content Pages is Fine
Thin content pages can be a natural part of a site, like on category pages, and isn’t an issue with Google providing it is a small proportion of a site’s pages.
Longer Content has More Chance of Appearing for Voice Search
Longer content could be more useful for voice search as it provides more options that could be relevant to a user. John recommends running user studies to see how people might find your business through voice search.
Page Titles & Meta Descriptions are Rewritten for Queries & Devices
Google rewrites page titles and meta descriptions based on the query and the allocated space available on the user’s device.
There are No Lingering Effects Once a Manual Action is Lifted
Manual actions don’t have lingering effects, once it is lifted this is final.
