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Google's Stance on Spammy Backlinks & Robots.txt Files ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Hey Hope you're doing well! We are back with some important updates from the world of SEO. I wanted to share some recent insights from Google's John Mueller regarding the noindex directive in robots.txt files: - Clarification on Noindex - in response to a LinkedIn query, Mueller clarified that the noindex directive, although not part of the standard robots.txt format, does not affect search engine indexing. - Google's Past Consideration - Mueller mentioned that Google had once considered supporting the noindex directive in robots.txt. This consideration aimed to offer publishers a method to simultaneously block both crawling and indexing. - Risk of Accidental Removal - however, due to concerns about users accidentally removing critical website components while copying and pasting robots.txt files, Google decided against making noindex a supported directive in the robots.txt standard, over a decade ago. - Mueller's Unconventional Robots.txt - Mueller's own robots.txt, surprisingly containing 5,506 instances of the noindex directive, drew attention in the SEO community. - Google's Stance - Mueller emphasized that Google does not endorse the use of the noindex directive in robots.txt. - Insight into Google's Process - this glimpse into Google's decision-making process sheds light on the complexities of managing website indexing and underscores the importance of adhering to standard directives for optimal search engine performance. [Click here]( to read the full article. John Mueller's View on Spammy Backlinks... Google's John Mueller recently addressed a crucial topic regarding spammy backlinks and their potential negative impact on search rankings. Here's a summary of the insights shared: . Noticing Spammy Backlinks - A user on Reddit mentioned noticing an increase in spammy backlinks, which they believed was harming their site's search engine rankings and overall credibility. - They sought guidance on best practices and tools to remove these spammy backlinks and restore their website's link profile. John Mueller's Response - Mueller's advice was surprising to some. He mentioned that it's not necessary to take action against "spammy backlinks" because Google's systems are adept at ignoring them. - He did not suggest using the Disavow Tool, which allows publishers to request Google to disregard specific links. - Mueller emphasized focusing efforts on making the website "awesome" rather than chasing after these links. Understanding "Overall Credibility" - Third-party metrics like Domain Authority or Majestic's Topical Trust Flow can provide insights into the types of links pointing to a site. - However, Mueller highlighted that Google's perception of a site may not align with these metrics. - Experienced SEOs often prioritize making the site valuable and user-friendly rather than solely relying on third-party metrics. In essence, while spammy backlinks may be concerning, Mueller's advice encourages website owners to concentrate on creating high-quality content and enhancing user experience. Google's systems are designed to handle spammy links, and focusing on improving the site's quality is the key to sustainable rankings. [Click here]( to read the full article. To your SEO success, Jennifer from OutreachMama P.S. Excited to learn more or have questions? Hit reply – I'm here to guide you to SEO success! [Enhance your content strategy with our comprehensive Topical Maps.]( More!]( Sent to . [Click here to unsubscribe]( OutreachMama LLC, 12333 Sowden Rd Ste B #33347, Houston, Texas 77080-2059, United States