Search Off the Record

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Search Off the Record takes you behind the scenes of Google Search and its inner workings! In each episode, the folks from the Search Relations team will give you background info on the decision-making behind launches, feature prioritization in Search Console, and the projects Google Search teams are working on. They will share fun stories from the many conferences they attend as well as from their day-to-day working life at Google. They will also dive into the currently trending conversations in the SEO community at large. Have a listen!

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    • May 15, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 31m AVG DURATION
    • 171 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Search Off the Record

    Debugging the Internet: HTTP, TCP, and You

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 33:25


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt from the Google Search team dive deep into the foundations of how the web works—specifically HTTP, TCP, UDP, and newer technologies like QUIC and HTTP/3. The two reflect on how even experienced web professionals often overlook or forget the mechanics behind these core protocols, sharing insights through technical discussion, playful banter, and analogies ranging from messenger pigeons to teapots. The conversation spans key concepts like packet transmission, connection handshakes, and the importance of status codes such as 404, 204, and even 418 (“I'm a teapot”). Throughout the conversation, they connect these protocols back to real-world implications for site owners, developers, and SEOs—like why Search Console might report network errors, and how browser or server behavior is influenced by low-level transport decisions. With a mix of humor and expertise, Gary and Martin aim to demystify a crucial part of the internet's infrastructure and remind listeners of the layered complexity that makes modern web experiences possible. Resources: Episode transcript →https://goo.gle/sotr091-transcript    Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO #Http Speakers: Lizzi Sassman, John Mueller, Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console - General  

    SOTR091_Transcript.pdf

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025


    Launching Search Central Live Deep Dive

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 35:51 Transcription Available


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Google's Martin Splitt, Cherry, and Gary Illyes discuss the exciting expansion of Search Central Live with the introduction of Search Central Live Deep Dive. They share the history of Search Central events, the inspiration behind creating a more advanced, multi-day experience, and how community feedback helped shape the new format. Cherry explains how the Deep Dive events will offer in-depth sessions, practical workshops, and greater opportunities for networking within the Search community across the APAC region.   The team also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the complexities of planning international events, from budgeting and travel logistics to ensuring high-quality attendee experiences. They highlight plans for new locations including Budapest and South Africa, and outline how interested participants can apply. If you want to hear about the future of Google's Search community events and how to get involved, this episode is a must-watch.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr090-transcript   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral

    How are web standards made?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 44:56


    Ever wondered how web standards are made? Martin and Gary from Google Search take you behind the scenes of the internet's governing bodies. From the IETF to the W3C, learn about the consensus-driven processes that shape the web. Find out why these standards are crucial for ensuring a consistent and reliable online experience. Resources: Episode transcript →  https://goo.gle/sotr089-transcript    Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast #SEO   Speakers: Lizzi Sassman, John Mueller, Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console - General  

    SOTR089_Search_Off_the_Record_-_89th_episode_

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025


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    Wrapping up 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 37:52 Transcription Available


    As 2024 comes to a close, we're reflecting on what SEO things happened this year. Listen along as we chat about what we learned from going to events, the importance of understanding how AI works, and whether everything will be replaced with JavaScript.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr088-transcript Encoding + Googlebot → https://goo.gle/4iZEKXO   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Handling Dupes - Same Same or Different?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 32:30 Transcription Available


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, John and Martin talk to Allan Scott from the Google Search team that handles duplicate content. They explore how Google Search deals with duplicated content, clustering, and canonicalization.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr087-transcript   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast  #SEO   Speakers: Allan Scott, John Mueller, Martin Splitt Products Mentioned: Search Console - General

    A discussion of UX for SEO

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 31:51 Transcription Available


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Lizzi and John are joined by Rio Ichikawa, a product manager working on UX, CRO, and SEO, to discuss the intersection of SEO and UX. They explore how user experience impacts SEO, emphasizing the shared goals of attracting and converting users. Tune in for a discussion on common UX mistakes - like carousels - and how heatmaps can be a valuable tool for understanding user behavior and optimizing web pages for better engagement and conversion rates.    Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr086-transcript Rio on X/Twitter  → https://goo.gle/4eAOjJz Rio on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/3OnaHuY    Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Understanding how users experience your website

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 37:10 Transcription Available


    Sometimes talking to your users is the best way to figure out why that pesky bounce rate is high. But how do you actually do that, especially if you're on a budget?   In this episode of Search Off the Record, we're learning all about user experience research (UXR) and how getting a better understanding of how your users interact with your website can help when you're looking for ways to improve it. Tune in as Iva Barisic Hafner, a user experience researcher on the Google Shopping team, explains how to use UXR methods to get to the bottom of the "why" behind user behavior.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr085-transcript Nielsen Norman Group → https://goo.gle/3YI3xrq List of UXR methods  → https://goo.gle/40sI6Ma Iva on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/3A7Te6E   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Designing Google Doodles and delightful experiences

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2024 31:00 Transcription Available


    What does recursion, Weather Frog, and Momo the Magic Cat have in common?   In this episode of SOTR, Lizzi and John go behind the scenes of a Google Doodle with Jessica Yu, the lead for Doodles and delight on Google Search, about designing experiences that resonate with your audience. Listen along as we learn more about what's involved in getting an easter egg into Google Search, from hatching the idea to designing (and deploying) the experience and measuring success.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr084-transcript Jessica Yu on LinkedIn  → https://goo.gle/3BKgSq1 Momo's first appearance → https://goo.gle/3UbGgeC Submitting an idea for the Google Doodle → https://goo.gle/3A04stC AVIF is now supported by Google → https://goo.gle/3NrwhhK   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Google Search Reliability

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2024 36:40 Transcription Available


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Ben Walton and David Yule from the Google Search Site Reliability Team (SRE) walk us through their day to day work, which surprisingly is not just about putting out fires! Learn what Search SREs really do, how they handle incidents that occasionally occur, and what it takes to be an SRE for Google Search.    Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr083 SRE handbook → https://goo.gle/3XSbVUF David on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/3XQKavR Ben on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/4ewAkEX   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    How do I know if my SEO is doing a good job?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 37:17 Transcription Available


    It's been a few months since you hired an SEO; how can you tell if things are headed in the right direction?    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Lizzi and John interview Erika Varangouli, head of Branded Content at Riverside.fm, about all things hiring and working with SEOs. Just because uplift isn't happening doesn't mean they're not doing work; we walk through practical things to check throughout the process, such as how things are prioritized, is there regular reporting, and proactive communication around things that don't go as planned.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr082-transcript John's initial LinkedIn Post → https://goo.gle/3XNOqfI Erika Varangouli on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/3ZukgiH Erika on X → https://goo.gle/3XXGBUR Do I Need an SEO? → https://goo.gle/4dabZUb SEO Starter Guide  → https://goo.gle/42alrmy   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Let's talk shopping markup

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2024 28:07 Transcription Available


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Irina Tuduce from the shopping team joins John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman to chat all things shopping data, from schema.org to feeds spec. Listen along as we chat about how shopping infrastructure gets its data, why pricing data can be tricky, and what the Shopping team has been working on this year. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr081-transcript Irina Tuduce on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/3Xuiywf Product structured data → https://goo.gle/4eaPJus Feed spec in Merchant Center → https://goo.gle/3Tdl2MU How to set up Merchant Center account → https://goo.gle/4gcSPjq Merchant-level organization markup → https://goo.gle/47fvmd2 Schema.org community on GitHub → https://goo.gle/4e7A6E3 Variants in Google Search → https://goo.gle/4dU4BOc  Merchant Listings report in Search Console → https://goo.gle/47hlNuu    Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Working With Search Console API

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 29:50 Transcription Available


    We sat down with Mihai Aperghis, a Google Product Expert (PE) for Search, when he visited the Zurich office for the PE Summit this year. In this episode we talk about how he started his SEO agency, the tools he built, and his role as a Product Expert in the Search Central Help Community. Mihai explains how he built tooling to get data from Search Console into Google Sheets and how he automated this process as well as what features he'd like to see coming to the Search Console API. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr080-transcript Mihai on X → https://goo.gle/4dUzL7I Mihai's tools → https://goo.gle/4dW3yNj Mihai's recap of the PE Summit → https://goo.gle/4cAKhQ4 Search Central Help Community → https://goo.gle/4dUzOAq Intro to Search Console API → https://goo.gle/3AzkJ8P

    Crawling smarter, not harder

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 40:11 Transcription Available


    In this episode of SOTR, John Mueller, Lizzi Sassman, and Gary Illyes talk about misconceptions around crawl frequency and site quality, what's challenging about crawling the web nowadays, and how search engines could crawl more efficiently.  Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr079-transcript Gary's post on LinkedIn  → https://goo.gle/3YAT55q  Crawling episode with Dave Smart → https://goo.gle/3WShUsf  If-Modified-Since  → https://goo.gle/3ywXvja  About the IETF → https://goo.gle/3SGVVlo  Robots Exclusion Protocol → https://goo.gle/4dgmBSg  Proposal for new kind of chunked transfer  → https://goo.gle/3AgMF1c  Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for Crawling smarter, not harder

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024


    Internationalization & hreflang

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 38:30 Transcription Available


    Managing websites that use different languages and serve different countries is no easy task. That's why Lizzi, Gary and Martin sat down to talk about all things internationalization, hreflang and what's making managing international, multi-language websites easier.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr078-transcript Docs for international and multilingual sites → https://goo.gle/3WtolAL How x-default can help you → https://goo.gle/3Y8AdKB Web Almanac hreflang usage in 2022  → https://goo.gle/4bKX2Hv Hreflang tags generator by Aleyda Solis → https://goo.gle/4bVRVEI Merkle Hreflang testing tool → https://goo.gle/3WaWbKj Hreflang Builder → https://goo.gle/4cW8fGi   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Rendering JavaScript for Google Search

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 25:20 Transcription Available


    In this episode, Zoe Clifford from the rendering team joins Martin and John from Search Relations to talk about how Google Search deals with JavaScript sites, how rendering works and what the mysterious "iteratorect" was. They also discuss what's the DOM, if all pages get rendered, how long it takes and what website owners should look out for when building JavaScript-driven websites.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr077-transcript JavaScript SEO basics → https://goo.gle/3W0XnjB Fixing search-related JavaScript issues → https://goo.gle/3S2bMdY Google I/O 2019 presentation → https://goo.gle/4bCdZ6M   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for Inside Search Quality: Using metrics and data science to improve Search

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024


    Inside Search Quality: Using metrics and data science to improve Search

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 36:23


    In this episode of SOTR, Lizzi and John sit down with Elizabeth Tucker to go behind the scenes of Search Quality product management. Listen along as they discuss using data science to measure quality and make improvements, how search behavior is changing over time, and how to think about E-E-A-T and the Search Quality Rater Guidelines. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr076-transcript BERT paper → https://goo.gle/3XroKpe E-E-A-T for site owners → https://goo.gle/4c5E0fQ Search Quality Rater Guidelines → https://goo.gle/3z07OvN Improving Search with Rigorous Testing → https://goo.gle/45x7OQ0 Day in a life of a Search Quality Product Manager → https://goo.gle/3z087GX Meet Data Scientists at Google → https://goo.gle/3xzZ67c Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Cosmic Rays & Crawlers: When Google Search is under the weather

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024 27:24


    How does Google address incidents that affect Search results, like indexing problems or crawling issues? Join John, Lizzi, and Gary in this episode of Search off the Record as the team discusses internal processes Google uses to detect, investigate, and communicate these incidents to users and website owners.  Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr075-transcript Google Search Status Dashboard → https://goo.gle/3Vcs9pi Lifecycle of an issue → https://goo.gle/3KsgjCe SRE Playbook's chapter on troubleshooting → https://goo.gle/3V9NPCj   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast Speaker: John Mueller, Lizzi Sassman, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console - General

    Transcript for Cosmic Rays & Crawlers: When Google Search is under the weather

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2024


    Building SEO community with office hours

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024 32:22


    In this episode of Search off the Record, John and Lizzi invite Michael Chidzey and “Jo” Juliana Turnbull to talk all things SEO Office Hours. Listen along as they discuss why they picked this format, whether community building has an impact on SEO, and how you can get involved in this growing community of SEO practitioners.    Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr074-transcript Join the next Good Signals SEO Office Hours → https://goo.gle/4avilfM Good Signals SEO Office Hours announcements on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/450vo7F Jo Juliana Turnbull on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/4bISYbP Jo Juliana Turnbull on X → https://goo.gle/44V8xKF Mike Chidzey on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/4dSJg7Q Submit a question for Google SEO Office hours → https://goo.gle/3K93A7A   Watch more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Central Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast   Speaker: John Mueller, Lizzi Sassman, Michael Chidzey, Juliana Turnbull Products Mentioned: Search Console - General

    Transcript for Building SEO community with office hours

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2024


    Let's talk Content Decay

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024 33:27


    What's the best way to handle outdated content? Does old content affect SEO? In this episode of Search Off the Record, Lizzi Sassman and John Mueller discuss the importance of addressing old content and updating it to continue being useful to users today. Listen along as Lizzi and John discuss content decay's effect on Google Search results and practical steps to tackle it. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr073-transcript Crypto redirects → https://goo.gle/4dq7Ywe Outdated blog post on traffic drops  → https://goo.gle/3y8UNQd Mobile-Testing Tool blog post  → https://goo.gle/4bsCJ1Q Structured Data Tool landing page → https://goo.gle/4bvZ8Lw   Watch more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Central Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    Transcript for Let's talk Content Decay

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024


    Gemini for Social Posts: Game Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024 32:24


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Gary Illyes, Lizzi Sassman, and John Mueller put Large Language Models (LLMs) to the test and compete to create the best social post using generative AI. Listen along as they weigh the pros and cons, assess how accurate the posts are, stumble on some owl facts, and see how Google's own GenAI tool, Gemini, can be used as a creativity tool.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr072-transcript  SEO Starter Guide  → https://goo.gle/42alrmy rel=prev/next isn't a signal  → https://goo.gle/4aIWz8F Managing Multi-Regional Sites → https://goo.gle/3J3u5e9 Bubble chart analysis →  https://goo.gle/49q9VW8   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for Gemini for Social Posts: Game Edition

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2024


    Deciphering INP and Core Web Vitals

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 35:49


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman are joined by Rick Viscomi from the Chrome Web Performance team to discuss the importance of understanding what users seek to accomplish and optimizing accordingly, rather than focusing solely on metric scores. Listen along as the Search team touches on metrics like Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and the latest Interaction to Next Paint (INP) as pieces of the pie for a better user experience.    Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr071-transcript  Introducing INP to Core Web Vitals → https://goo.gle/4ar2UW6 Page Experience & Google Search → https://goo.gle/49cEWgm Rick on X (formerly Twitter)→ https://goo.gle/3PCe4ze  Core Web Vitals on Stack Overflow → https://goo.gle/4awMqvw   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast   Speaker: John Mueller, Lizzi Sassman, Rick Viscomi, Products Mentioned: Search Off The Record,

    Transcript for Deciphering INP and Core Web Vitals

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024


    What is a web crawler, really?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024 30:05


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, Gary Illyes and Lizzi Sassman take a deep dive into crawling the web: what is a web crawler, and how does it really work? Listen along as the Search team is joined by an expert web developer in the SEO community, Dave Smart, for an in-depth and technical discussion of all things crawling, and maybe dispel some myths along the way.    Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr070-transcript  Managing your crawl budget → https://goo.gle/3IzRZxl Dave Smart on LinkedIn → https://goo.gle/3wPSuRA Tame the Bots → https://goo.gle/4cfCQ1P Search Central Help Forum → https://goo.gle/sc-forum Indexing API docs → https://goo.gle/3v8yVU0   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast   Speaker: Gary Illyes, Lizzi Sassman Products Mentioned: Search Off The Record

    Transcript for What is a web crawler, really?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2024


    Search Central Product Experts

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024 23:57


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman sit down with Aaseesh Marina, Product Support Manager, to discuss the Search Central community forums. Did you know there is a group of Product Experts and community members that can help you navigate your SEO questions? Listen along as the Search Team takes a deep dive into the Search Central help community forum and discover why it should be your go-to guide for any SEO help.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr069-transcript  Search Central help community → https://goo.gle/3sViTv3  Product Expert program → https://goo.gle/3SL6jrI   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast   Speaker: John Mueller; Lizzi Sassman; Products Mentioned: Search Off The Record;

    Transcript for Search Central Product Experts

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2024


    Rewriting the SEO Starter Guide

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024 25:24


    The SEO Starter Guide is getting a refresh! Have you ever wondered how the Search team plans and writes such a document? In this episode of Search Off the Record, John Mueller, Gary Illyes, and Lizzi Sassman discuss which topics are still relevant, the right level of detail for a starter guide, and whether or not including anti-patterns in documentation is a good idea.    Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr068-transcript SEO Starter Guide →  https://goo.gle/42alrmy SEO Starter Guide: What's all the drama? → https://goo.gle/4b6ZLMq Let's pick a domain name → https://goo.gle/3tezc6t   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.   #SOTRpodcast   Speaker: John Mueller; Gary Illyes; Lizzi Sassman;, Products Mentioned: Search Console;,

    Transcript for Rewriting the SEO Starter Guide

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024


    2023: Year in review

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023 36:32


    In this episode of Search, Martin, John, and Gary look back at 2023 and reminisce on some of this year's Search announcements. From updates to Core Web Vitals to going back to basics of website titling, the team covers a wide range of announcements and updates in the world of SEO.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr067-transcript   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.  #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for 2023: Year in review

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023


    Which aspect of my site should I focus on?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 27:53


    In this episode of Search, Martin, Gary, and John discuss aspects of SEO that website owners often overlook. From overall quality to more technical aspects, The Search team talks about where they focus on their SEO work and why the details add up to a better SEO experience. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr066-transcript Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for Which aspect of my site should I focus on?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023


    Features and deprecations on Steve

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023 21:52


    In this episode of Search, John, Gary, and Martin discuss why the search team adds and removes features on their search engine, Steve. From creating a better user experience to surfacing relevant answers for search queries, maintaining an organized webspace requires continual retooling. Tune into this episode of Search Off the Record to learn about what the team considers when updating their search engine itself! Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr065-transcript Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for Features and deprecations on Steve

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2023


    The effect of quality on Search

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023 20:45


    In this episode of Search, John and Gary discuss the impact of quality on search results. From sitemaps to scheduling and more, the Google Search team talks about how the quality of the page and site plays a role in crawling and indexing, besides ranking. Do you need to update your site often or add many links? Tune in and find out on this episode of Search Off the Record!  Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr064-transcript Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for The effect of quality on Search

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2023


    Let's talk ranking updates

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2023 34:02


    The Google Search algorithm has been updated and panic quickly sets in. In this episode of Search, Martin, John, and Danny help content creators everywhere focus on the value they bring into the digital world. From changing ranking systems to updated documentation, the Google Search team discusses their holistic approach to SEO, ranking, and more! Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr063-transcript  Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Let's pick a domain name

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2023 26:42


    A top-level domain (TLD) is the last part of a domain name, after the dot, and identifies the type of organization the domain belongs to, or the country the domain is targeting. Some examples include .com, .org, .ai, .ch, .xyz. In this episode of Search, John, Gary, and Martin help you choose the best top-level domain for you and your website, including price, popularity, and if a custom one makes a difference in search engines. They also touch upon second-level domains, dashes, keywords, their effect on SEO, and more! Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr062-transcript  Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Why is my site not indexed?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 27:21


    Martin, John, and Gary discuss the potential reasons why your website or page is not indexed, both from a technical and quality perspective. Learn about the tools and reports available in Google Search Console to help determine why your website is not indexed.   Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr061-transcript Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

    Transcript for Why is my site not indexed?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023


    Q&A: You asked on Linkedin, we answered in here

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2023 27:08


    In this episode of Search Off the Record, John, Gary, and Martin answer highly sought-after questions left on Gary's Linkedin post. They share the drawbacks of client-side rendering, how Web3 would affect SEO, and more. Why do 410 response codes show the same as 404s in Search Console? Is it treated differently in the backend? Find out that, and more from how the Search team would rebuild a search engine differently from Google's to what the team has learned from the billions of search queries it's received over the years.  Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr060-transcript  Check out the Google Search Centra YouTube channel → https://goo.gle/43lCh1h  Check out the Google Search Central blog → https://goo.gle/3CJW3sH    Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast

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