Search Off the Record

Google

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!

  1. 17/12/2025

    Thoughts on SEO & SEO for AI, part 1

    In this episode, John Mueller and Danny Sullivan talk about SEO and the new kids on the block: AIO, GEO and others. Danny shares how these things interact with each other and what he thinks website owners should look for in their content creation and how Google's principles align with the way people use AI and search engines to navigate the web.   Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral   Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team.

    38 min

  2. 30/10/2025

    SOTR100_transcript.pdf

    Search Off the Record

  3. 30/10/2025

    How Search Off the Record tackles SEO and web development

    Celebrate the 100th episode of Search Off the Record with Martin, Lizzi, Cherry, John and Gary as they revisit memorable moments, touching on a bunch of topics. This special episode touches on Google's mobile-first indexing, the intricacies of the Caffeine indexing system, and a deep dive into JavaScript scoping – and hoisting. You'll hear again  about optimizing documentation traffic and the delightful world of Google Doodles. Discover key insights that impact your SEO strategies and web development practices. Resources:  Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr100-transcript Chapters:  0:00 - Welcome and 100th Episode Intro 2:21 - Lizzi's favorite: SEO starter guide readings 3:01 - Gary on Mobile-First Indexing Importance 3:39 - Revamping the SEO starter guide 5:13 - Meta tags and Google's indexing system 9:11 - Cherry's use of podcasts for work 12:09 - Deep dive into caffeine indexing 13:59 - The mechanics of data conversion in caffeine 16:12 - John's favorite: The magic of Google Doodles 23:30 - JavaScript ccoping and hoisting 25:47 - Optimizing documentation traffic  29:29 - Conclusion: 100 Episodes of Search Off the Record Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller, Cherry Sireetorn Prommawin Products Mentioned: Search Console

    31 min

  4. 04/09/2025

    SOTR099_transcript.pdf

    Search Off the Record

  5. 04/09/2025

    Optimizing login-page content for Google Search

    Explore critical aspects of search engine optimization for web content that lives behind a login or paywall. In this episode, Martin and John cover how Googlebot interacts with these pages, the role of paywall structured data, and methods to prevent unintended indexing of private information. Get practical advice on improving your website's visibility and user experience while maintaining data security in Google Search. Resources:  Episode transcript →https://goo.gle/sotr099-transcript  Chapters:  0:00 - Intro  0:09 - Navigating SEO for login and paywalled content 2:01 - How Google indexes restricted content 10:51 - Strategies for controlling content visibility 20:54 - Testing and optimizing your site for Search Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Mueller  Products Mentioned: Search Console

    26 min

  6. 21/08/2025

    SOTR098_transcript.pdf

    Search Off the Record

  7. 21/08/2025

    Lazy loading demystified

    Optimize your website's performance with lazy loading techniques. In this episode, John Mueller  and Martin Splitt discuss lazy loading, and its SEO implications. Find out how lazy loading affects indexing, ranking, and Core Web Vitals. Whether you're using native lazy loading or custom JavaScript libraries, this episode provides insights for developers on how to enhance website speed and user experience. Resources:  Episode transcript → https://goo.gle/sotr098-transcript  Chapters:  0:00 - Introduction  0:43 - What is lazy loading?  1:57 - HTTP chunking  3:13 - Primary drivers behind lazy loading  6:19 - Why not default lazy load all images?  8:29 - Lazy loading and SEO  8:39 - Impact to Core Web Vitals  9:17 - Largest contentful paint  9:58 - Affecting indexing and ranking  11:30 - Custom libraries for lazy loading 14:17 - How to recognize a problem 15:25 - Practical point of view  16:52 - Infinite scroll vs. lazy loading  19:31 - Lazy loading videos  20:51 - Small images and decorative images  23:16 - Where to chat about lazy loading images  23:55 - Outro  Listen to more Search Off the Record → https://goo.gle/sotr-yt Subscribe to Google Search Channel → https://goo.gle/SearchCentral Search Off the Record is a podcast series that takes you behind the scenes of Google Search with the Search Relations team. #SOTRpodcast #SEO Speaker: Martin Splitt, John Muelle, Martin Splitt Products Mentioned: Search Console

    25 min

  8. 07/08/2025

    SOTR097_Transcript.pdf

    Search Off the Record

See All (100)

Ratings & Reviews

3.8
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    Google
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    2024 © Google Search Central
  • Show Website
    Search Off the Record

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