Notes from the Google Webmaster Hangout on the 26th of July 2019.
There Isn’t a Separate Index for Mobile and Desktop Indexing
Google have one main index where either the mobile or desktop version of a site is contained, this is the version which will then be shown in search results. However, if you have a seperate mobile site, Google will always show this version to users on a mobile device.
Having Multiple Pages for Different Product Variations Isn’t a Problem
John recommends two approaches for products with multiple variations, either ensure each individual page is indexed or have one main product page with each variation option available. The best method depends on the size of the site and the uniqueness of each variation.
Google Takes Several Factors into Consideration When Selecting a Canonical When Multiple Variations Exist
If you have a large number of variations of one URL, for example multiple parameters, Google will take into consideration a number of factors including canonical tags, internal linking and the sitemap file, before picking a canonical version.
Sitelink Search Boxes Can Take a While To Display in Search Results
Once you have implemented the markup for a sitelink search box it can take some time before it is shown in search results. Unlike rich results which can be displayed quickly after implementation, Google need to be able to see the sitelink search markup has been in place for a while before displaying it. John explained it can sometimes take up to a month before it is shown.
Use the Mobile Friendly Test to Check the Implementation of Lazy Loading
If you are using JSON or JQuery to retrieve images for lazy loading, using the mobile friendly test will allow you to see if these are able to be successfully loaded or not.
There is No Ranking Advantage to Marking Outgoing Links as Nofollow
Using rel=follow on outgoing links will not affect a site’s rankings compared to one using rel=nofollow. John explained that using rel=follow outbound linking on a webpage helps Google to see the site is part of the normal web ecosystem.
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