Search Off the Record

Celebrate the 100th episode of Search Off the Record with Martin, Lizzi, Cherry, John and Gary as they revisit memorable moments, touching on a bunch of topics. This special episode touches on Google's mobile-first indexing, the intricacies of the Caffeine indexing system, and a deep dive into JavaScript scoping – and hoisting. You'll hear again about optimizing documentation traffic and the delightful world of Google Doodles. Discover key insights that impact your SEO strategies and web development practices. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr100-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome and 100th Episode Intro 2:21 - Lizzi's favorite: SEO starter guide readings 3:01 - Gary on Mobile-First Indexing Importance 3:39 - Revamping the SEO starter guide 5:13 - Meta tags and Google's indexing system 9:11 - Cherry's use of podcasts for work 12:09 - Deep dive into caffeine indexing 13:59 - The mechanics of data conversion in caffeine 16:12 - John's favorite: The magic of Google Doodles 23:30 - JavaScript ccoping and hoisting 25:47 - Optimizing documentation traffic 29:29 - Conclusion: 100 Episodes of Search Off the Record 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller, Cherry Sireetorn Prommawin Products Mentioned: Search Console

Explore critical aspects of search engine optimization for web content that lives behind a login or paywall. In this episode, Martin and John cover how Googlebot interacts with these pages, the role of paywall structured data, and methods to prevent unintended indexing of private information. Get practical advice on improving your website's visibility and user experience while maintaining data security in Google Search. Resources: Episode transcript →https://goo.gle/sotr099-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:09 - Navigating SEO for login and paywalled content 2:01 - How Google indexes restricted content 10:51 - Strategies for controlling content visibility 20:54 - Testing and optimizing your site for Search 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller Products Mentioned: Search Console

Optimize your website's performance with lazy loading techniques. In this episode, John Mueller and Martin Splitt discuss lazy loading, and its SEO implications. Find out how lazy loading affects indexing, ranking, and Core Web Vitals. Whether you're using native lazy loading or custom JavaScript libraries, this episode provides insights for developers on how to enhance website speed and user experience. Resources: Episode transcript → Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:43 - What is lazy loading? 1:57 - HTTP chunking 3:13 - Primary drivers behind lazy loading 6:19 - Why not default lazy load all images? 8:29 - Lazy loading and SEO 8:39 - Impact to Core Web Vitals 9:17 - Largest contentful paint 9:58 - Affecting indexing and ranking 11:30 - Custom libraries for lazy loading 14:17 - How to recognize a problem 15:25 - Practical point of view 16:52 - Infinite scroll vs. lazy loading 19:31 - Lazy loading videos 20:51 - Small images and decorative images 23:16 - Where to chat about lazy loading images 23:55 - Outro 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Muelle, Martin Splitt Products Mentioned: Search Console

In this episode of Search Off The Record, John and Martin explore the intersection of SEO and photography. Is a website essential for photographers, or is social media enough? Martin, a technical SEO expert and photography enthusiast, dives into the challenges of building a photography website, optimizing images, and attracting the right audience. Whether you're a professional photographer or a hobbyist, this podcast offers valuable insights into how Search Engine Optimization can help you showcase your work and connect with your audience. Find out how to make your images more findable, understand your website's performance, and navigate the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing for photographers. Martin shares his experience building his own photography website and the challenges he faced with SEO for his personal website. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr097-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:37 - The Expert?! 3:10 - Why do photographers need websites? 5:39 - Stock Photography and SEO 14:53- Branding and Search 18:21 - Setting up Search Console 21:12 - Web pages and Social Media for your photos. 23:27 - Image Landing Pages 24:52 - Image Optimization 28:38 - Photography and Generative AI 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller Products Mentioned: Search Console

Martin and John dive into the world of CSS and explore its connection to SEO. Discover why CSS files matter for SEO, how modern CSS frameworks impact pages, and the SEO implications of CSS class names and pseudo elements. Moreover, learn practical tips for ensuring your CSS enhances - rather than hinders - your website's search performance. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr096-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction 0:56 - What is CSS? 1:37 - CSS file crawlability 3:52 - CSS flexibility and power 4:55 - Website and CSS growth 5:43 - CSS file size 9:15 - CSS class names and SEO 10:51 - Important CSS concepts 11:27 - CSS specificity 14:24 - Pseudo classes and pseudo elements 20:56 - Stop using before and after 22:47 - Viewport height 27:11 - Hiding things and background colours 28:05 - CSS images 35:55 - CSS for SEO 37:16 - Outro 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller Products Mentioned: Search Console

Are you a developer or small business owner struggling with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? In this episode of Search Off the Record, Google Search Advocates John Mueller and Martin Splitt break down the essentials of SEO for small businesses. Learn practical tips for understanding your target audience, crafting a content strategy, and measuring your SEO efforts. They debunk SEO myths and explain when it's time to hire an SEO expert or agency. Get clarity on content strategy, technical SEO basics, the importance of relevant content and how to measure success. This video is perfect for developers who are curious about search and need a non-technical introduction to the SEO space, and small business owners who want to improve their website's visibility in Google Search. Resources: Episode transcript → Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction: The SEO Questions We All Get Asked 0:35 - SEO Starter Guide 0:58 - Defining Your Website Goals & Customer Focus 2:51 - Food Truck Example 4:20 - Understanding Your Customers & Search Intent 6:21- Content Strategy: What Should You Write About? 7:06 - Technical Foundation Check: Is Your Site Okay? 7:54 - Website Name Searching 9:46 - CMS 10:03- How to Approach Content Creation 11:52 - Getting Customer Feedback & Keyword Research 13:33 - How Serious Is My Goal 13:33: - How To Measure SEO Impact 14:30 - Monitoring Website Changes: Search Console & Analytics 16:03 - How Long Changes Take 17:41 - Staging Sites Vs Live Sites 18:44 - When to Hire an SEO Expert or Agency 21:14 - Red Flags SEO Promises 21:14 - Resources Mentioned 23:52 - How Long Does SEO Take 26:23 - AI and SEO 28:30 - Outro 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console,

Developers often have misconceptions about SEO. In this episode of Search Off the Record, John Mueller and Martin Splitt clarify what matters and what doesn't. They cover areas including: Optimizing themes for SEO, The indexing API, and common HTML mistakes. This podcast delivers essential knowledge for developers to enhance their SEO strategies and avoid common pitfalls. Resources: Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr094-transcript Chapters: 0:00 - Intro to SEO misconceptions 0:15 - Why developers should care about SEO? 0:59 - Technical vs non-technical SEO 4:38 - The importance of naming things 6:03 - Title and Meta Description 7:31 - Is bad Html bad for SEO? 12:43 - Core Web Vitals 17:22 - Javascript SEO 27:00 - Google APIs and SEO 27:42 - Google Search algorithm 31:32 - What about Html comments? 31:58 - Themes and SEO 32:13 - How to reach out to Martin 32:57 - Wrap up 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search Console,

In this candid episode of Search Off the Record, Gary Illyes and Martin Splitt from the Google Search team peel back the curtain to reveal a more human side of their work and challenges. Instead of diving deep into technical concepts, they reflect on their personal journeys—touching on everything from public speaking nerves to building empathy between developers and SEOs. Through playful banter and thoughtful commentary, they share how communication, context, and curiosity play vital roles in their day-to-day roles, both internally at Google and in the broader web ecosystem. The conversation also explores the evolution of Martin’s career, his passion for the web, and how his developer background helps him bridge gaps in technical understanding. The duo navigates the complexities of delivering accurate guidance in public forums, the risk of being taken out of context, and the importance of clear communication across diverse audiences. It's a thoughtful, lighthearted, and occasionally philosophical discussion that reminds listeners that behind the guidance, there are real people striving to make the web better for everyone. Resources: Episode 93 transcript→https://goo.gle/sotr093-transcript Chapters: 0:00 – Intro & Setup 1:30 – Life at Google 3:30 – Speaking to Developers 6:30 – Early Speaking Days 10:00 – SEOs vs Devs 14:00 – Should SEOs Code? 19:00 – Context is Everything 23:30 – Clearer SEO Advice 26:30 – Why No Slides 29:00 – Wrap Up Chat 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 Speaker: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Search

In this episode of Search Off the Record, Martin and Gary from the Google Search Relations team take a deep dive into how Googlebot and web crawling work—past, present, and future. Through their humorous and thoughtful conversation, they explore how crawling evolved from the early days of the internet, when scripts could index a chunk of the web from a single homepage, to the more complex and considerate systems used today. They discuss the basics of what a crawler is, how tools like cURL or Wget relate, and how policies like robots.txt ensure crawlers play nice with web infrastructure. The conversation also covers Google's internal shift to unified infrastructure for all crawling needs, highlighting how different teams moved from separate crawlers to a shared system that enforces consistent policies. They explain why some fetches bypass robots.txt (like user-initiated actions) and the rising impact of automated traffic from new products and AI agents. With a nod to initiatives like Common Crawl, the episode ends with a look at the road ahead, acknowledging growing internet congestion but remaining optimistic about the web’s capacity to adapt. Resources: 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 #SearchOfTheRecord Speakers: Martin Splitt, Gary Illyes Products Mentioned: Googlebotl, Gemma, Google AI

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 → 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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.