{"id":5671,"date":"2025-11-07T17:09:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T17:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/?p=5671"},"modified":"2025-11-07T17:09:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-07T17:09:51","slug":"google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/","title":{"rendered":"Google Warns SEOs: Stop Trusting Tool Scores \u2014 Here\u2019s How to Audit Smarter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the latest insights shared through Google Search Central, Google has issued a clear reminder to SEOs and website owners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stop treating automated audit scores as indicators of technical health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The update, led by Martin Splitt from Google\u2019s Search Relations team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It stresses that technical SEO audits should focus on real-world site context rather than arbitrary numerical scores produced by automated tools.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This latest Search Central guidance marks a subtle but important shift in how Google expects SEO professionals to interpret their audits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How to perform a technical SEO audit\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aLWQqlpwHK8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\"><\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#what-did-google-say-about-technical-seo-audits\" >What Did Google Say About Technical SEO Audits?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#whats-googles-three-step-framework-for-a-real-seo-audit\" >What\u2019s Google\u2019s Three-Step Framework for a Real SEO Audit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#when-are-404-errors-actually-normal\" >When Are 404 Errors Actually Normal?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#why-context-matters-more-than-scores\" >Why Context Matters More Than Scores<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#who-should-be-involved-in-a-technical-audit\" >Who Should Be Involved in a Technical Audit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#what-should-you-actually-look-for-in-a-technical-seo-audit\" >What Should You Actually Look For in a Technical SEO Audit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#why-blind-audits-waste-time-and-money\" >Why Blind Audits Waste Time (and Money)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#so-whats-the-right-way-to-run-a-technical-seo-audit\" >So, What\u2019s the Right Way to Run a Technical SEO Audit?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#why-this-matters-for-the-future-of-seo\" >Why This Matters for the Future of SEO<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/google-warns-seos-stop-trusting-tool-scores-5671\/#tldr-%e2%80%93-key-takeaways\" >TL;DR &#8211; Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-did-google-say-about-technical-seo-audits\"><\/span><b>What Did Google Say About Technical SEO Audits?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his talk, Martin Splitt, a member of Google\u2019s Search Relations team explained that most SEO audits fail not because tools are bad, but because they are used without interpretation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He opened with a simple truth:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA technical audit should make sure no technical issues prevent or interfere with crawling or indexing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can use checklists and guidelines to do so, but it needs experience and expertise to adapt these guidelines to the site you audit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The goal of an audit isn\u2019t to chase \u201cperfect scores\u201d or fix every minor warning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is to ensure Google can crawl, understand, and index your website efficiently and that requires human insight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How often have you seen an SEO report crammed with color-coded charts, percentages, and random \u201cSEO health\u201d scores that mean\u2026 nothing?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt calls this out directly, warning against reports that look impressive but lack actionable value.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"whats-googles-three-step-framework-for-a-real-seo-audit\"><\/span><b>What\u2019s Google\u2019s Three-Step Framework for a Real SEO Audit?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt suggests a structured but flexible approach. According to him, every effective <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/blog\/technical-seo\/\">technical SEO<\/a> audit should follow three essential steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-5672\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/f16fa506-d455-4fe4-8591-d7de679087ff-465.webp\" alt=\"Google Warns Against Relying On SEO Audit Tool Scores\" width=\"1600\" height=\"840\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/f16fa506-d455-4fe4-8591-d7de679087ff-465.webp 1600w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/f16fa506-d455-4fe4-8591-d7de679087ff-465-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/f16fa506-d455-4fe4-8591-d7de679087ff-465-1024x538.webp 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><b>1. Identify potential issues using tools and guidelines<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is where most audits start and, unfortunately, where many end. Tools like Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, or Sitebulb are excellent for finding potential technical errors from crawl issues to redirects or missing tags.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But tools alone don\u2019t understand your website\u2019s business context, technical setup or content goals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They simply flag deviations from best practices.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>2. Create a report tailored to the site<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of dumping 50 pages of tool data, your audit should translate findings into real-world meaning. That means asking questions like:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does this issue actually affect how Google indexes the site?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is this relevant for this website\u2019s architecture, size, or purpose?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does this impact user experience or conversions?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt emphasizes that a good audit should make sense to the client or dev team. The report should connect technical data to strategic insights, not just list problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>3. Recommend prioritized actions<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you understand the issues, rank them by impact and effort.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGroup your findings according to the amount of effort and the amount of impact a fix will have,\u201d Splitt advises.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A broken sitemap?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High priority, low effort. A few duplicate meta tags on paginated URLs? Probably not worth immediate attention.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best audits help teams focus on low-hanging fruit with high SEO impact instead of wasting time on cosmetic technicalities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"when-are-404-errors-actually-normal\"><\/span><b>When Are 404 Errors Actually Normal?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of Splitt\u2019s standout clarifications was around 404 errors, a frequent source of panic in technical audits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He pointed out that not all 404s are bad, in fact, they are often perfectly normal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA high number of 404s, for instance, is expected if you removed a lot of content recently. That\u2019s not a problem. It\u2019s a normal consequence of that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, what does matter is when 404s rise unexpectedly without any corresponding site changes. That is when you might be dealing with:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Broken internal links<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incorrect redirects<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Or URL generation issues from your CMS<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt recommends using Google Search Console\u2019s Crawl Stats report to see whether your 404 patterns match normal site behavior. Context, again, is key.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-context-matters-more-than-scores\"><\/span><b>Why Context Matters More Than Scores<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have all seen audits that assign a neat score: 82\/100 \u201cSEO Health\u201d or \u201cA+ Site Quality.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It feels satisfying\u2026 until you realize those numbers mean absolutely nothing in Google\u2019s eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt bluntly states that tool-generated scores lack site-specific context. For example:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An international website should undergo hreflang auditing, but that\u2019s irrelevant for a single-language site.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A site with intentional 404s or noindex pages may trigger tool warnings, even though those are strategic, not errors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is why Google stresses human judgment over automation. Tools can assist; they can\u2019t interpret intent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMake sure your findings are meaningful for the website in question and take the time to prioritize them for maximum impact,\u201d Splitt said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, stop fixing what isn\u2019t broken just because a crawler told you to.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"who-should-be-involved-in-a-technical-audit\"><\/span><b>Who Should Be Involved in a Technical Audit?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, Splitt also reminded SEOs that technical audits should not happen in isolation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt helps a lot to talk to the people who are familiar with the site and its technology,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That means collaborating with:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Developers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who can explain how routing, redirects, or JavaScript rendering works.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Content teams<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who can clarify why certain pages exist (or don\u2019t).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Site administrators<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, who know which configurations are intentional.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This collaboration ensures your recommendations are realistic, relevant, and technically sound, not just SEO theory.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what-should-you-actually-look-for-in-a-technical-seo-audit\"><\/span><b>What Should You Actually Look For in a Technical SEO Audit?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Splitt didn\u2019t publish a specific checklist, he outlined core areas every technical audit should cover. Here is what to examine (without turning it into a 200-item spreadsheet):<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Routing and network issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that could block crawling.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>HTTP headers and metadata<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to ensure pages deliver correct signals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Redirect chains or loops<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially after migrations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Canonicalization and internal linking<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which affect indexation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Rendering and markup problems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, particularly on JavaScript-heavy sites.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each of these can be checked with simple tools, but the key is, do not panic at every alert.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A long list of warnings does not mean your site is in trouble; it means your tool found possibilities, not problems.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-blind-audits-waste-time-and-money\"><\/span><b>Why Blind Audits Waste Time (and Money)<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Splitt\u2019s final takeaway was a polite but pointed critique of how SEO agencies and freelancers often approach audits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many deliver automated reports filled with hundreds of data points and \u201cfix now\u201d recommendations but with no explanation of why those fixes matter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The result?<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Developers ignore them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clients get overwhelmed.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Real technical issues get buried under noise.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generic audits, Splitt warns, \u201cwaste time on low-impact fixes while missing critical issues.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, a minor meta description warning might get flagged as \u201chigh priority,\u201d while serious rendering issues or slow indexing go unnoticed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A truly useful audit, in contrast, helps businesses understand what impacts crawling and indexing most and why.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"so-whats-the-right-way-to-run-a-technical-seo-audit\"><\/span><b>So, What\u2019s the Right Way to Run a Technical SEO Audit?<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you take Splitt\u2019s advice seriously, here\u2019s how to reframe your audit process:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Understand the website first.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> How is it structured? What technology powers it? What\u2019s its primary goal such as content discovery, ecommerce, or lead generation?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Run your tools carefully.<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Use crawlers, Search Console, and Lighthouse to gather data but treat it as a guide, not a verdict.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Interpret and prioritize.<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Ask: which issues actually affect crawling, indexing, or ranking potential? Group them by effort vs. impact.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Collaborate with stakeholders.<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Confirm findings with developers and marketers before sending recommendations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Deliver actionable insights.<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Replace arbitrary scores with real explanations and prioritized next steps.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because, as Splitt reminds SEOs, tools don\u2019t understand business goals, people do.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"why-this-matters-for-the-future-of-seo\"><\/span><b>Why This Matters for the Future of SEO<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technical and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stanventures.com\/ai-seo-services\/\">AI SEO<\/a> is evolving fast, but the fundamentals remain: crawlability, indexation, and accessibility are what matter most.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As automation and AI tools grow more advanced, it is tempting to let them do the thinking. But as this guidance shows, no algorithm can replace expert judgment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The future of technical SEO isn\u2019t about generating bigger reports, it is about generating better understanding.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"tldr-%e2%80%93-key-takeaways\"><\/span><b>TL;DR &#8211; Key Takeaways<\/b><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Google\u2019s Martin Splitt warns SEOs not to rely blindly on audit tools or \u201cSEO health\u201d scores.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A technical SEO audit should have three phases: find issues, interpret findings, and recommend meaningful fixes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">404s aren\u2019t always bad, only unexplained spikes matter.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Context matters: not every warning is a problem; not every fix is necessary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborate with site experts to ensure your audit aligns with actual technology and goals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Prioritize impact over perfection.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the latest insights shared through Google Search Central, Google has issued a clear reminder to SEOs and website owners.\u00a0 Stop treating automated audit scores as indicators of technical health. The update, led by Martin Splitt from Google\u2019s Search Relations team.\u00a0 It stresses that technical SEO audits should focus on real-world site context rather than [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Google Warns SEOs: Stop Trusting Tool Scores, Audit Smart<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Google\u2019s Martin Splitt urges SEOs to stop relying on audit scores and focus on real technical insights that impact crawling, indexing\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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