Back to Calendar

Daily SEO Brief

Wednesday, July 15, 2026

1 article published

What You Need to Know

John Mueller from Google advises against attempts to manipulate link structures for SEO purposes, particularly concerning 'first link priority'. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining proper link functionality and testing strategies cautiously.

Must-Read Highlights

1

Altering a website's link structure to influence Google's 'first link priority' may not be effective as per John Mueller.

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation
2

Mueller recommends using CSS to reorder links instead of removing markup to maintain SEO value.

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation
3

The concept of 'first link priority' remains hypothetical and has not been confirmed by Google.

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation
4

SEO practitioners are encouraged to perform further testing and exercise caution when implementing changes.

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation
5

The advice underscores the importance of understanding Google's algorithms before making structural changes.

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation

All Articles from This Day

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern
SEJ
Jul 15, 2026•Matt G. Southern
Good to Know

Google’s Mueller On First Link Priority & Link Obfuscation via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

AI Analysis
  • ●John Mueller cautions against altering a website's link structure to manipulate Google's perceived 'first link priority', suggesting such changes may not yield the desired SEO benefits.
  • ●Rather than removing the link markup from the homepage button, he recommends reordering the code with CSS to ensure both links function properly without sacrificing their SEO potential.
  • ●The concept of 'first link priority' remains speculative and unconfirmed by Google, indicating the need for caution and further testing in SEO strategies.
Why it matters: While the article provides insights into link structure and internal anchor text, it does not present any critical updates or changes impacting SEO strategies directly.
SEOJohn Muellerlink structurefirst link priorityGoogle Search
Read Source