Several years ago, Google quietly stopped utilizing the Rel=prev/next indexing signal. However, Google continued to encourage publishers to use this indexing signal. Years later, Google announced on Twitter that the indexing signal was no longer in use, which led to disappointment and confusion in the SEO and publishing community.
### What is the Rel=prev/next Indexing Signal?
Rel=prev/next was an indexing signal that Google advised publishers to use as an indication that a group of pages were part of a series of related pages. This allowed publishers to break up a document into several pages while still having the entire multi-page document considered as one. This was particularly useful for long articles and lengthy forum discussions that spanned multiple pages.
### Was it a Major Change?
From the perspective of web publishers, it certainly felt like a major change. The indexing signal afforded publishers the ability to assist Google in understanding complex site navigation.
### Did Google Hope Nobody Would Notice?
There was no official announcement from Google. They simply issued a late tweet. Google removed the webmaster support page entirely and replaced it with a 404 response, providing no explanation. Google also updated the original blog post from 2011 to note that the guidance mentioned in the announcement was cancelled.
### Publishers are Disappointed with Google
Under Matt Cutts’ leadership, Google engaged with publishers to keep them updated on best practices for improving their sites. Therefore, discovering that Google had stopped using an important indexing signal without informing publishers came as a shock.
### Google Encouraged Publishers to Use a Signal that Didn’t Work
As recently as January 2019, Google’s John Mueller was still encouraging publishers to use the indexing signal, even though Google no longer utilized it. In a Google Webmaster Hangout from January 2019, Mueller affirmed that Google tries to use the Rel=prev/next, without mentioning that Google had already ceased using it, perhaps unaware of the change.
### Many are Disappointed in Google
The SEO and publishing community had mixed reactions. While some accepted the development quietly, most were upset that Google had continued advising publishers to use something it had stopped responding to.
Dustin Woodard remarked: “Google stopped using rel=prev & next years ago, but forgot to tell the web. They claim users like single page. That’s like a librarian saying your book is somewhere in this unorganized library. Just look until you find it.”
### Should You Take Down Existing Code?
Edward Lewis, a search marketer, pointed out that link rel-prev is part of the HTML specification. Thus, even though Google may not be using them as a pagination hint, it remains a relevant HTML element, and there is no need to remove existing code.
### Rel=prev/next Serves a Purpose
Others in the community emphasized that Rel=prev/next was valuable for helping Google navigate complex site structures. Alan Bleiweiss, a site audit specialist, expressed his distrust in Google’s ability to manage complex site architectures without Rel=prev/next, noting the organization’s inconsistency.
### The Pragmatic Response
Cyrus Shepard took a non-judgmental stance, tweeting a proactive and pragmatic course of action. For those working online, adapting to changes in Google’s ecosystem is crucial, as Google thrives when publishers thrive.
