Google has recently announced that your role as an SEO does not mean confusing the search engines. Let us see more about it in this article.
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Search Engine Optimization On Google
Google’s Search Engine Optimization is one confusing process, often manipulated or taken advantage of by content creators to increase their reach. Certain assumptions surround the process, as mentioned above.
These assumptions ultimately create the need to go for a “hit-and-trial” method instead of opting for consistent, regulated, and trusted actions.

So, what should a regular user with a lack of information do? Post the queries on a multi-million user platform – Twitter! Yes, Twitter has recently become a forum for website owners to reach out to and receive follow-ups from Google employees.Â
John Mueller On Confusing The Search Engines
Google’s John Mueller has been one such savior for the uninformed. He has constantly preached about the various unknown tricks and tips behind the search engine’s working.
In a recent thread on Twitter, he shed some light on the importance of consistency. He also told how confusing the Search Engines leads to futile efforts.
Mueller stated that a user must not confuse the Search Engines by opting for shady or clever-seeming practices.
He believes that a user must deliver a clear notion about what its site content is about, information about URLs, the architecture of the website, and the SEO signals. Once, he stated, in his exact words that – “SEO lives and dies by consistency.”
What Is Meant By Confusing The Search Engines?
So, what is meant by “confusing the Search Engines,” one may ask. Simply stating, some common examples of confusing actions are:
- Using trailing slashes on specific URLs while not using them on others
- Sending a canonical tag to one location and a 301 redirect to another
- Putting structured data in areas where they are declared “unsupported.”
How It All Started?
The thread began with a user having a query that if a web page code contains two mutually exclusive directives, which one will be noticed and accepted by Google.
He went on further to support this statement with an example of two #noindex directives. They are as follows:
- <meta name=”robots” content=”index, follow”>
- <meta name=”robots” content=”noindex, nofollow”>
John Mueller says ‘Your job as an SEO is not confusing the search engines’
Mueller replied that our job as an SEO is not confusing the search engines with our actions. John also stated his opinion separately about this topic. He understands that the user query is concerning the working of a Search Engine Optimization.
However, people tend to neglect technical SEO in some cases, for which Google has documented information previously for the users. He often irked with the incorrect use of basic technical elements, say gears, ironically when trying to use things technically correctly.
See also: How Redirecting URLs Can Impact SEO?
The Takeaway
It is, thus, time and then stated that consistency is the key to achieving success in Search Engine Optimization. Consistency gives your website an upper hand by giving your audience the golden knowledge of what to expect from your web page and the time intervals the content is scheduled.Â
This consistency can stem from multiple sources altogether. Maintain directories, use keywords well, get authentic and organic backlinks from good websites, create high-quality content, provide user-friendly mechanisms, and most importantly, one must keep a check on the technical part of SEO always.