SEO Basics guides.
Every seo basics guide we've published — 81 articles on the tactics, the tradeoffs, and what actually moves rankings.
Does Duplicate Content Hurt SEO? (What Actually Happens)
There is no duplicate content penalty — but duplication still costs you rankings and backlinks. What Google really does, and how to find and fix each type.
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Do UGC-Tagged Links Pass Any SEO Value?
rel=ugc links pass little or no ranking value, but Google calls the tag a hint, not a rule. What they are really worth and when to chase them.
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Do Popup and Banner Links Pass SEO Value?
Popup and sticky banner links are usually crawlable but count for little. Why Google discounts them, when they pass nothing at all, and how to check yours.
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Do Links Behind a Login or Paywall Count?
Googlebot never logs in, so most gated links pass no SEO value. The paywall exception that does count, and how to test any link before you pay or trade for it.
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Do JavaScript Links Pass SEO Value?
Google renders JavaScript but only follows links that exist as a real href in the rendered HTML. The patterns that quietly pass nothing, and how to check yours.
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Do Newsletter and Substack Links Count as Backlinks?
A link inside an email is invisible to Google. The web archive is a different story: where newsletter and Substack links really count, and what to check.
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Do YouTube Description Links Count as Backlinks?
YouTube description links are nofollowed and hidden behind Show more. Here's what they actually do, why embeds don't help you, and where video link value hides.
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Does Linking Out to Other Sites Hurt My SEO?
Linking out doesn't drain your rankings — it usually helps. Here's what Google says, the three cases that cause real problems, and how to link out safely.
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Do Image Links Pass SEO Value?
Image links pass value like text links — but alt text becomes the anchor text. Here's how Google reads them, and why badge and logo links often underperform.
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What Is llms.txt? (And Do You Actually Need One)
llms.txt explained: what the file contains, who proposed it, whether AI systems actually read it, and how to decide if it's worth the twenty minutes to add.
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What Is a Manual Action in Search Console?
Manual actions explained: what triggers each type, how site-wide and partial matches differ, and what a reconsideration request actually needs to succeed.
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Do Social Media Links Count as Backlinks?
Social links are almost all nofollow, so they pass little ranking value — but they still do three specific jobs. Here's what they can and can't do for SEO.
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