Google says they don’t care about text-to-code ratio for SEO

In the ever changing world of search engine optimisation (SEO) it’s hard to know what really matters when misinformation is floating around everywhere.

In the recent “SEO Office Hours” session from August 2024 a Google Search Console representative talked about common myths from website audit tools.

One of the points of discussion was the text-to-code ratio, which is a myth in SEO land.

So, we need to separate actionable advice from old practices and make sure our strategies match Google’s current guidelines.

1 What Google said about irrelevant metrics from SEO audit websites

When we want to optimise our websites for better rankings we turn to free website audit tools.

But these tools often suggest improvements that don’t match Google’s best practices. A question in the recent “SEO Office Hours” session asked about this:

“I ran several free website audits. Some of them suggested me things that were never mentioned in the Search Central documentation. Do these things matter for SEO?”

Key Takeaways:

• SEO vs Other Metrics: The Google representative said many audit tools don’t focus on SEO. As they can provide insights that are not related to actual search engine guidelines, we need to be critical of the recommendations from these tools.
• Text-to-Code Ratio Myth: The text-to-code ratio was mentioned as an irrelevant metric: “The text-to-code ratio, for instance, is not a thing. Google Search doesn’t care about it.” So, focusing on this metric is a waste of time as it doesn’t affect the ranking algorithms.
• Other Technical Stuff: Unminified CSS and JavaScript were mentioned as “suboptimal for your users,” but not for SEO. The representative said “It is a good practice, though,” which means it’s good for user experience but not a priority over actual SEO factors.

So now we know the differences, webmasters can focus their SEO efforts on what really matters and not waste time and resources on outdated or irrelevant metrics.

2 Then these SEO audit tools are fraud?

Given Google’s recent statements we need to audit the SEO audit tools we use.

2.1 The Problem with Audit Tools

• They claim to be comprehensive.
• Their recommendations don’t match Google’s best practices.
• This causes confusion and mis allocation of resources.

2.2 Example of Misleading Metrics

• The session said:
• The text-to-code ratio, for example, is not a thing. Google Search doesn’t care about it.
• Focusing on these metrics will distract you from good SEO.

Many famous tools like SEMRUSH have these metrics in different names like Text-to-HTML, Text-to-Code, etc;

2.2.1 Metrics That Are Important for User Experiences

• Unminified CSS and JavaScript
• Unused CSS
• Unused Javascript
• Javascript Runtime and more.

But the speaker said, “But it doesn’t have direct implications on your SEO. It is a good practice, though.”

3 For Webmasters

To navigate the conflicting SEO advice and optimize well, webmasters should move away from misleading audit tools and focus on high-quality, user-centric content creation. Here are the tips:

• Create Valuable Content: Focus on creating well-researched, informative content that answers the questions and needs of your audience. Quality content that provides real value will attract links and ranking over time.
• Fresh and Relevant Updates: Update your website with fresh and relevant content. This will engage returning visitors and signal to search engines that your site is active which can improve rankings.
• User Experience over Metrics: Prioritise user experience by designing a intuitive website. Make sure your content is easily accessible, visually appealing and engaging which will encourage longer visit duration and lower bounce rate.
• SEO Best Practices: While detailed metrics can be distracting, understanding the basics of SEO—headings, keyword integration, meta tag optimisation—still matters. Focus on optimising these without getting too fixated on narrow metrics.
• Don’t Chase Rankings: Instead of chasing specific rankings, focus on building relationships with your audience. Engage with users through comments, social media and email to build community and trust which will lead to organic growth.
• Use Analytics Wisely: Use analytics to get insights on user behaviour and preferences but interpret the data in a way that enhances user experience rather than following audit recommendations.

So there you have it.

4 Final Thought

In summary, Google’s recent statements on SEO audit tools is a reminder for webmasters to be smart and not be misled.

By separating the actionable from the irrelevant, webmasters can follow Google’s best practices and focus on creating content and user experience.

This will engage users and rank well over time. As the web changes, this will help webmasters navigate SEO well.