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Category: Google SEO

Why Frequent Google Crawling Signals a Healthy Website
I recently discovered a new help document from Google that explains how their web crawlers operate. This document aims to offer basic educational information about crawling, highlighting key resources available to site owners.

There are currently nine essential insights listed in the document, and they’re pretty enlightening!

Frequent crawling is a good sign! It indicates that your site’s pages contain fresh or highly relevant content that attracts attention. Google specifically mentions, “If we’re crawling your site a lot, it’s an indication your pages have fresh or highly relevant content that people want to find, and that our systems are recognizing that demand. Online shopping is a great example: we crawl ecommerce sites often so that our results will display retailers’ most up-to-date prices, promotions, and inventory status.”

What’s included in the guide? Here’s a quick overview, though I’d definitely recommend diving into the document for a detailed read. It’s not new information, but it serves as a beneficial refresher:
- What is crawling? In short, crawling is how Google “sees” the web.
- Google uses numerous crawlers, each tasked with different jobs.
- Repeat crawls help provide the freshest search results by catching the latest updates.
- Frequent crawling remains a positive indicator!
- With the increased complexity of pages over time, Google’s crawling has evolved.
- Crawling is automatically optimized.
- Google doesn’t access paywall or subscription content without consent.
- Site owners have control over what gets crawled and how.
- Respect for robots.txt and other instructions is a standard for Google’s crawlers.
Why does this matter? The art of crawling is a cornerstone of SEO, essential for being visible in Google Search and other platforms. This new help document can serve as a guide to enhance the crawlability of your site.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
March 4, 2026
Enhance Your Image SEO with Google’s Latest Best Practices

When it comes to ensuring my images stand out in Google Search and Discover, I’ve learned that it’s all about using both schema.org markup and the og:image meta tag effectively. Google recently revised its image SEO best practices and Discover guide to clarify how they utilize these elements to select thumbnails.
Image SEO Best Practices – Google introduced a new section in its image SEO guide called Specify a preferred image with metadata. Here, Google explained:
“Google’s selection of an image preview is entirely automated, considering various sources to display a suitable image on Google, such as a text result image or a preview image in Discover.”
So, how can I influence the thumbnails Google selects?
I can specify the primaryImageOfPage property with a URL or ImageObject in schema.org. Alternatively, linking an image URL or ImageObject to the main entity using the mainEntity or mainEntityOfPage properties could be beneficial. Another option is to define the og:image meta tag.
Overall best practices include choosing an image that truly represents the page, avoiding generic images or those containing text, steering clear of extremes in aspect ratios, and opting for high-resolution images whenever possible.
Google Discover Image Selection – In the Discover documentation, I found some insightful tips:
“Incorporate engaging, high-quality images in your content, especially large images, as they are more likely to attract visits from Discover. Images should be at least 1200px wide, high resolution of at least 300K, and maintain a 16×9 aspect ratio.”
Google attempts to crop images automatically for Discover. If I choose to crop images myself, they should be well-positioned for landscape use, ensuring vital details remain in the cropped version specified in the og:image meta tag.
Also important is enabling the max-image-preview:large setting or using AMP. Utilizing schema.org markup or the og:image meta tag allows specifying a large, relevant image as thumbnails in Discover.
Why It Matters – Images significantly impact click-through rates from Google Search and Discover. By understanding and applying these guidelines, I can better guide Google in selecting the right image thumbnails to boost visibility.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

March 2, 2026
Google’s New Patent May Transform Search Results Through AI

Let me clarify—this is just a patent document, a flicker of a possibility, not an immediate change in Google Search.

A recently published patent from Google hints at a potential shift in how we experience search results. It suggests that instead of landing on a standard webpage, searchers might be directed to an AI-crafted page tailored to individual queries.

Patent Details. Known as AI-generated content page tailored to a specific user, this patent was filed about a year ago and approved just last month.

This patent outlines a system using AI to auto-generate personalized landing pages for businesses or organizations. Instead of simply redirecting me to a generic homepage, it aims to deliver a page that’s directly relevant to my search intent and the organization’s offerings.

Patent Abstract. Here’s an overview from the patent itself:

“Techniques for generating an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated page for a first organization. The system can include a machine-learned model configured to generate the AI-generated page. The system can receive from a user device associated with a user account, the user query. Additionally, the system can generate a search result page for the user query. The search result page can include a first result associated with a first landing page of the first organization. The system can calculate a landing page score for the first landing page. The system can generate an updated search result page based on the landing page score exceeding a threshold value, the updated search result page having a navigation link to an AI-generated page for the first organization. The system can cause a presentation, on a display of the user device, the updated search result page.”

Example Scenario. Picture this: I’m searching for “waterproof hiking boots for wide feet” on a site like REI or Amazon. Normally, I’d end up on a general “Hiking Boots” page and have to sift through countless options. But with AI, Google could direct me to a specially tailored page that zeroes in on exactly what I need.

Community Reactions. Brandon Lazovic spotted this, and it was shared by Joshua Squires on LinkedIn stating, “In short, Google would use AI to generate a page that mimics your website but rebuilds it dynamically.” This has raised concerns among professionals. Glenn Gabe noted, “If you thought AIOs angered people, just wait for AI-generated landing pages from Google.” Lily Ray added, “Terrifying to be honest.”

Why It Matters. This is a mere patent and might never see the light of day. However, it’s intriguing to ponder Google’s potential direction and what it could mean for the future of search.

In any scenario, these insights offer a glimpse into the forward-thinking strategies within Google.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

February 27, 2026
Google Search Console Bug: Missing Data Before December 15

I’ve noticed a peculiar issue with the Google Search Console’s page indexing report—it seems to be missing data prior to December 15th. Many of us are likely scratching our heads over this, and it appears to be some kind of reporting glitch affecting everyone.

So far, Google hasn’t provided any comments on this widespread issue. The absence of this data is creating challenges for all of us trying to analyze our website performance accurately.

What it looks like. To give you a clearer picture, Vijay shared a screenshot on X. You can verify this by checking your own page indexing report, and you’ll likely see the same gaps.

Why it matters to us. I plan to check back in the next few days to see if the data returns or if Google releases any updates about this problem. Currently, we’re all in the same boat, unable to access the prior data, which hinders our ability to run accurate reports and analyses.

Let’s hope Google resolves the issue soon, enabling us to resume our regular reporting and analysis for those missing data ranges.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

February 23, 2026
Unlock the Power of AI: New Google Search Console Features
Recently, I discovered that Google’s AI-powered configuration tool for the Search Console is available to everyone, and it’s been quite an exciting update! This tool allows us to interact with the performance reports by asking AI-driven questions and receiving detailed insights in return.

I found out about this rollout on LinkedIn where Google enthusiastically announced, “The Search Console’s new AI-powered configuration is now available to everyone!” This means we can all experience this amazing functionality firsthand.

AI-Powered Configuration: With this tool, I can describe the type of analysis I want in plain language. Google’s AI then converts my inputs into specific filters and settings, creating a customized report immediately.

Rolling Out Now: When I logged into my Search Console account and checked the performance report, a new note caught my eye: “New! Customize your Performance report using AI.” By clicking on it, I gained access to this innovative AI tool.

More Details: This AI-powered configuration is designed to simplify our analysis by managing three key tasks: selecting metrics, applying filters, and configuring comparisons.
- Selecting Metrics: I can choose from metrics like Clicks, Impressions, Average CTR, and Average Position based on my queries.
- Applying Filters: This allows me to refine data by various parameters such as query, page, country, device, or date.
- Configuring Comparisons: I can establish intricate comparisons, like custom date ranges, without manual configuration.
Why We Care: While currently limited to the Performance report for Search results, I’m excited to see how AI might soon enhance reports for Discover and News. Even though the AI might not always provide perfect answers, exploring its potential has been an enlightening experience, sparking new ideas.

So, why not give it a try yourself?

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
February 17, 2026
Explore Google’s WebMCP: Revolutionizing AI Web Interactions
Is this the new technical SEO frontier? This question is top of mind for many of us as Google has recently unveiled an early preview of WebMCP, a protocol shaping the way AI agents engage with websites. According to André Cipriani Bandarra from Google, “WebMCP aims to provide a standard way for exposing structured tools, ensuring AI agents can perform actions on your site with increased speed, reliability, and precision.”

WebMCP offers developers the capability to communicate with LLMs through our websites about the specific actions that various buttons and links should initiate. With this protocol, websites can publish a “Tool Contract” using the new browser API, navigator.modelContext. This means rather than leaving the AI to guess, our websites can present a structured list of functions, like buyTicket(destination, date), allowing the AI to execute these functions directly.

Structured interactions for the agentic web. WebMCP introduces two new APIs enabling browser agents to act on behalf of users:
- Declarative API: This offers standard actions that can be simply defined within HTML forms.
- Imperative API: For more complex, dynamic interactions that need JavaScript execution.
These APIs serve as a crucial bridge, making our websites “agent-ready” and facilitating more reliable and high-performance agent workflows compared to raw DOM actuation.

Use cases that Google has put forward highlight how AI agents can tackle complex tasks efficiently and confidently for users:
- Travel: With structured data, agents can help users search for, filter, and book the exact flights they want, ensuring accuracy in results.
- Customer support: Agents can automatically populate detailed customer support tickets, filling in all required technical details without user intervention.
- Ecommerce: Enhancing shopping experiences where agents can locate, configure, and navigate purchasing options flawlessly.
How to access the preview. If you’re interested in trying out WebMCP, you can apply for the preview through this link.

Why we care. The advent of agentic experiences marks a significant shift in search and potentially SEO. Esteemed voices in the industry, such as Dan Petrovic and Glenn Gabe, have highlighted this as a pivotal transformation, comparable to the impact of structured data and described it as a big deal.

Exploring these cutting-edge protocols could be extremely valuable for anyone keen on staying at the forefront of SEO developments.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
February 11, 2026
Google & Bing Advise Against Separate LLM Markdown Pages
I’ve been following the lively debate around creating separate markdown pages for LLMs, and it appears that both Google and Bing are advising against this approach.

Recently, I noticed that representatives from Google Search and Bing Search have specifically recommended not to create separate markdown (.md) pages designed exclusively for LLMs. This practice involves presenting different content to the LLMs compared to what users see, which can be considered a form of cloaking—a direct violation of Google’s policies.

The question arose when Lily Ray inquired on Bluesky about the prevalence of creating markdown or JSON pages targeted at bots.
- “Not sure if you can answer, but starting to hear a lot about creating separate markdown / JSON pages for LLMs and serving those URLs to bots.”
Google’s stance, as explained by John Mueller, is clear. He replied to Lily’s query saying that LLMs have always interacted with standard web pages and don’t require separate markdown pages.
- “I’m not aware of anything in that regard. In my POV, LLMs have trained on—read & parsed—normal web pages since the beginning, it seems a given that they have no problems dealing with HTML. Why would they want to see a page that no user sees? And, if they check for equivalence, why not use HTML?”
John Mueller even criticized the whole idea, stating:
- “Converting pages to markdown is such a stupid idea. Did you know LLMs can read images? WHY NOT TURN YOUR WHOLE SITE INTO AN IMAGE?” Of course, converting your entire site to a markdown format is an extreme measure.
I’ve collected many of John Mueller’s remarks on this topic, which you can find here.

Bing’s perspective is shared by Fabrice Canel from Microsoft Bing, who suggested that creating duplicate, non-user content isn’t effective.
- “Lily: really want to double crawl load? We’ll crawl anyway to check similarity. Non-user versions (crawlable AJAX and like) are often neglected, broken. Humans eyes help fixing people and bot-viewed content. We like Schema in pages. AI makes us great at understanding web pages. Less is more in SEO!”
Why this matters to us: Many of us are tempted by shortcuts to improve search engine performance. Yet, these shortcuts often backfire or yield short-lived benefits. As Lily Ray remarked on LinkedIn, managing duplicate and differing content for bots violates established search engine policies.

Lily Ray’s thoughts on this are clear:
- “I’ve had concerns the entire time about managing duplicate content and serving different content to crawlers than to humans, which I understand might be useful for AI search but directly violates search engines’ longstanding policies about this (basically cloaking).”
Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
February 6, 2026
Google’s February 2026 Discover Update Enhances Local Content
Exciting news! I’ve just learned about Google’s February 2026 Discover core update, a major advancement in how content is showcased in Google Discover. According to Google’s announcement, this is a broad update aimed at improving the overall Discover experience.

This update initially targets English-speaking users in the US. However, Google plans to roll it out globally across various languages over the next few months. The complete process should take about two weeks, as was stated by Google here.

What can we expect? This Discover update is set to enhance the experience in several important ways:
- Delivering more locally relevant content based on users’ locations
- Cutting down on sensationalism and clickbait
- Elevating in-depth, original content from expert sites
Since the focus is on local content, websites publishing for a specific country might see changes in traffic patterns. However, once the update is live globally, any shifts in traffic should even out.

Additional insights: Google’s systems are fine-tuned to recognize expertise across different subjects. Whether a website specializes in a single topic or covers multiple, it can gain visibility in Discover. To illustrate, a local news outlet with a gardening section can still be seen as an authority, even if it covers other themes. Conversely, a site primarily about movies wouldn’t be recognized as authoritative in gardening from a single post.

Moreover, Google continues to tailor content recommendations based on individual preferences, ensuring a more personalized user experience.

Prepare for changes: As this update unfolds, expect to see some fluctuation in your Google Discover traffic. Google has noted that while some sites may experience increased or decreased visibility, many will not notice drastic changes.

Progressive rollout: Currently, the update is being released to English users in the US, but the plan is to go international and multilingual in the upcoming months.

Why this matters to us: Changes in Discover traffic could impact your site’s engagement. If you need assistance navigating this update, Google provides core update guidance and resources like the Get on Discover page.

Ultimately, Google’s testing suggests that this update has made the Discover feature more useful and valuable for users.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
February 5, 2026
Understanding Googlebot’s Crawling File Limits Explained

I recently discovered some updates that Google made to its help documents, clarifying the file limits for Googlebot’s crawling abilities. They shared insights about how much data Googlebot can process for different file types.

In these updates, Google specified the limits for crawling by file type, some of which continue from previous guidelines and aren’t entirely new. These updates cover:

15MB for web pages: According to Google, by default, their crawlers only process the first 15MB of a file. This means any content beyond that limit gets ignored.

64MB for PDF files: When it comes to PDFs, Googlebot has a larger limit, crawling up to the first 64MB. This applies when Googlebot indexes PDFs in Google Search.

2MB for supported file types: Googlebot processes the first 2MB of other supported file types, along with the 64MB limit for PDFs.

Rest assured, these limits are pretty generous, meaning most websites won’t be affected or even reach these thresholds.

Google’s documentation explains, “By default, Google’s crawlers only process the first 15MB of a file. Individual projects may have different limits, and they might differentiate between file types, providing larger limits for PDFs compared to HTML.”

Furthermore, the data beyond the specified limit doesn’t get indexed as Googlebot halts the fetch after the limit is reached. This applies to all resources referenced in the HTML, like CSS and JavaScript, except PDFs.

Why should we care? Knowing these limits can enhance your website’s SEO strategy, even though most won’t come close to these limits. Still, it’s vital to be aware of the boundaries set for Googlebot’s crawling.

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.

February 4, 2026
Overcoming Google’s Biggest Crawling Challenges: A Personal Review
Managing my website’s URLs efficiently is crucial to prevent crawlers from slowing it down. If you’re like me, you want your site to load fast, ensuring both visitors and search engines have a seamless experience.

Just the other day, I listened to Google’s latest insights on their year-end report for 2025. It was fascinating to hear Gary Illyes discuss on the Search Off the Record podcast about the major crawling challenges Google faces, like faceted navigation and action parameters, which make up a whopping 75% of the issues.

What’s the issue? Well, I’ve learned that crawling problems can seriously impact site performance, potentially making it unusable or inaccessible. Crawlers can sometimes get stuck in an infinite loop on a site, wreaking havoc on server performance.

According to Gary, once a set of URLs is discovered, the crawler has to check a significant portion to determine its quality. By the time this is done, the damage is done—your site slows down dramatically.

The Biggest Crawling Challenges Here’s what caught my attention as the major issues from the report:
- 50% relate to faceted navigation. These are very common in e-commerce sites where endless filtering options exist for products based on size, color, price, etc.
- 25% pertain to action parameters. These come from URL parameters that trigger actions instead of significantly changing page content.
- 10% involve irrelevant parameters like session IDs or UTMs.
- 5% are due to plugins or widgets that cause confusion by creating problematic URLs.
- 2% encapsulate other “weird stuff”, which includes strange issues like double-encoded URLs.
Why this matters to me is simple. A well-structured URL strategy keeps my server healthy, ensures quick page loads, and prevents search engines from misunderstanding which URLs should be indexed as canonical.

The Podcast: Here’s where you can listen to the discussion yourself:

Inspired by this post on Search Engine Land.
February 3, 2026

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