Google Declares No Special SEO Needed for Pagination

In a key clarification for webmasters and SEO specialists, Google’s John Mueller confirmed that search engines don’t need special handling for paginated content. This update simplifies how sites are supposed to deal with pagination, shifting away from older recommended approaches.

Traditionally, web developers have used the rel=prev and rel=next attributes to inform search engines of paginated sequences. Yet, in 2019, Google dropped the usage of these attributes as a ranking signal, making many within the SEO space wonder about the best way to pagination. Fresh wisdom from Mueller delivers much-needed relief on the issue.

In a Search Engine Roundtable discussion, Mueller answered questions regarding how Google treats paginated URLs. He pointed out that search engines simply treat every URL as an individual, saying, “I don’t think a search engine needs to do anything special for ‘pagination’. Why shouldn’t a URL be a URL?” This attitude indicates that webmasters should not need to put in place complex SEO tactics, especially for paginated material.

Mueller went on to explain that if a paginated page is filled with worthwhile and original content, it will be treated accordingly; otherwise, it will not be accorded special treatment. This strategy emphasizes the focus on content value rather than on technical tricks. He raised a rhetorical question to make this point: “Would you crawl 100 pages of a paginated set and only cache them aggregated in a single URL and consider all other pages to be unique pages? It feels. like an unnecessary complication.”

This approach is in line with Google’s overall focus on user experience and content usefulness. The search leader encourages webmasters to make sure that every page, even those in a paginated sequence, provides fresh and useful content to users. This approach not only improves user engagement but also meets search engine algorithms aimed at rewarding quality content.

For guidance on best practice pagination, Google’s Search Central documentation suggests:

  • Sequential Linking: Ensure that each page in a series links to the next, facilitating easy navigation for users and crawlers.
  • Unique URLs: Assign distinct URLs to each page in the sequence, avoiding the use of fragment identifiers (e.g., #page=2) as Google ignores them.
  • Canonical Tags: Avoid setting the first page as the canonical URL for subsequent pages; instead, let each page stand on its own to prevent potential indexing issues.

At its core, Google’s new pagination strategy is simple: aim to provide top-quality, exclusive content on every page without leaning on intricate SEO settings. Through compliance with these guidelines, webmasters can provide user-friendly as well as search engine-friendly paginated content.