Podcast · 25 episodes
Search Off the Record
by Google · English
Search Off the Record takes you behind the scenes of Google Search and its inner workings! In each episode, the folks from the Search Relations team will give you background info on the decision-making behind launches, feature prioritization in Search Console, and the projects Google Search teams are working on. They will share fun stories from the many conferences they attend as well as from their day-to-day working life at Google. They will also dive into the currently trending conversations in the SEO community at large. Have a listen!
Latest episodes
Should you block your Search result pages?Whether website “search results pages” (not Google search) should be blocked from crawling/indexing.30 Jul 2026 · 29 min
How to read the Indexing ReportHow to interpret Google Search Console’s Indexing/Coverage report—don’t treat it as a “list of pages to fix” or a real-time inventory; use it to spot patterns and unexpected changes, then judge…16 Jul 2026 · 32 min
Should I use markdown for my site?Whether to publish websites in Markdown (or alternative formats like TXT) to help LLMs and search engines discover content.15 Jun 2026 · 26 min
All episodes
Should you block your Search result pages?Whether website “search results pages” (not Google search) should be blocked from crawling/indexing.30 Jul 2026 · 29 min · 11 chapters
How to read the Indexing ReportHow to interpret Google Search Console’s Indexing/Coverage report—don’t treat it as a “list of pages to fix” or a real-time inventory; use it to spot patterns and unexpected changes, then judge…16 Jul 2026 · 32 min · 11 chapters
Should I use markdown for my site?Whether to publish websites in Markdown (or alternative formats like TXT) to help LLMs and search engines discover content.15 Jun 2026 · 26 min · 10 chapters
Vibe Coding - yay or nay?“Vibe coding” (AI-generated websites/apps via natural-language prompts) and whether it’s a good idea. Guests: John Müller (Google Search Relations; software engineer).7 May 2026 · 34 min · 17 chapters
How AI Is Changing Google Search and SEOHow AI has been evolving inside Google Search and what it means for SEO, focusing on AI Overviews, AI Mode, and the underlying experiment/launch process.1 May 2026 · 33 min · 12 chapters
Analysing Robots.txt at scale with HTTP Archive and BigQueryHow Google analyzed robots.txt directives at scale using HTTP Archive/Web Almanac data and BigQuery, after a pull request proposed adding unsupported robots.txt tags.23 Apr 2026 · 28 min · 9 chapters
Are websites getting "fat"? Page weight, HTML size & Googlebot limits explainedWhether websites/web pages are “getting fat” (larger page weight/HTML size), how that’s measured, and how Googlebot fetch limits relate; also whether bloat matters for users and search.30 Mar 2026 · 32 min · 17 chapters
Google crawlers behind the scenesGoogle Crawlers Behind the Scenes12 Mar 2026 · 25 min · 11 chapters
How Browsers Really Parse HTML (and What That Means for SEO)How Browsers Really Parse HTML (and What That Means for SEO)26 Feb 2026 · 33 min · 14 chapters
Do You Still Need a Website in 2026?In this episode, Martin and Gary from the Google Search Relations team engage in a thought-provoking discussion about the relevance of websites in 2026.12 Feb 2026 · 28 min · 13 chapters
Crawling Challenges: What the 2025 Year-End Report Tells Us.In this episode of the Search Off the Record podcast, Martin Splitt and Gary Ilish from the Search Relations team discuss the findings from the 2025 Year-End Report concerning crawling issues faced…3 Feb 2026 · 28 min · 10 chapters
SEO, AIO, GEO, your site, & third-party support to optimize for LLMsIn this episode, hosts John Mueller and Danny Sullivan delve into the evolving landscape of Search, particularly in relation to SEO (Search Engine Optimization) amidst the rise of AI technologies.8 Jan 2026 · 26 min · 7 chapters
Thoughts on SEO & SEO for AI, part 1John Mueller and Danny Sullivan17 Dec 2025 · 38 min
How Search Off the Record tackles SEO and web developmentHow Search Off the Record tackles SEO and web development30 Oct 2025 · 31 min
Optimizing login-page content for Google SearchIn this episode of Search Off the Record, hosts Martin Splitt and John Mueller delve into the specifics of optimizing web content that is behind login or paywalls.4 Sep 2025 · 26 min
Lazy loading demystifiedIn this episode of Search Off the Record, John Mueller and Martin Splitt delve into the concept of lazy loading, its implications for SEO, and how it influences website performance.21 Aug 2025 · 25 min
SEO for photographers: websites, social media, and Google SearchTechnical SEO Expert and Photography Enthusiast7 Aug 2025 · 31 min
How does CSS affect SEO?In this episode of *Search Off the Record*, hosts Martin Splitt and John Mueller explore the intricate relationship between Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).24 Jul 2025 · 38 min
SEO for small businessesIn this episode of Search Off the Record, Google Search Advocates John Mueller and Martin Splitt provide practical insights into Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specifically tailored for small…10 Jul 2025 · 30 min
Demystifying SEO for developersDemystifying SEO for Developers26 Jun 2025 · 33 min
What SEOs should know about devsThis podcast provides insights into the inner workings of Google Search, featuring the Search Relations team discussing decision-making, project updates, and personal stories from the SEO community.12 Jun 2025 · 31 min
How Googlebot crawls the webIn this episode, Martin and Gary from the Google Search Relations team explore the evolution of Googlebot and the intricacies of web crawling, examining past practices, present implementations, and…29 May 2025 · 33 min
Debugging the Internet: HTTP, TCP, and YouThe "Search Off the Record" podcast, hosted by the Google Search Relations team, explores the intricacies of Google Search, the decision-making processes behind various features, and the experiences…15 May 2025 · 33 min
Launching Search Central Live Deep DiveIn this episode of *Search Off the Record*, hosts Martin Splitt, Cherry, and Gary Illyes discuss the expansion of Google’s Search Central Live events, introducing a new format called Search Central…1 May 2025 · 36 min