Notes from the Google Webmaster Hangout on the 29th of October 2019.
No Specific Way to Optimise For BERT Apart From Writing Naturally
There isn’t anything specific you need to do to optimise for BERT, as this update is about Google’s algorithms understanding natural language better.
Google Treats YouTube the Same as Any Other Website
Google treats YouTube pages the same as on any other website and doesn’t give them any preference in the SERPs. YouTube pages can rank like pages on any other site.
GSC Registers Impressions Based on Results Served, Not What is Displayed in the Viewport
Search Console registers an impression based on the search results shown on the page regardless of whether or not it is visible in the searcher’s viewport or not.
Hreflang Can be Implemented on Small Groups of Pages
Content in different language variations should be on different URLs, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be put on subdirectories or subdomains. For example, this could be achieved with different parameters.
Last Modification Dates Important For Recrawling Changed Pages on Large Sites
Including last modification dates on large sites can be important for Google because it helps prioritize the crawling of a changed page which might otherwise take much longer to be recrawled.
Google’s Algorithms Should be Able to Detect & Prioritize Original Content From Near Duplicate Versions
Google’s algorithms will ideally be able to detect spun content which has been rewritten from another source and see the original content as more valuable.
Discovered Not Indexed” Pages May Show in GSC When Only Linked in Sitemap
Pages may show as “Discovered Not Indexed” in GSC if they have been submitted in a sitemap but aren’t linked to within the site itself.
Be the First to Know About the Latest Insights From Google
