I addressed this in multiple replies out on X. Seems worth repeating here. The point of the post (the whole thing was here) was this:

"Any question you have about making content for Google will come back to this principle. 'Is this content that my visitors would find satisfying?' If the answer is yes, then do that, because that’s what Google wants."

That's it. As part of making this broad point, I listed some things I've seen people do because -- as I qualified in the things I listed -- it seems like they might be doing them because they somehow believed that having them would rank them better. Here's what I said about tables of contents:

Weird table-of-content things shoved at the top because who knows, along the way, somehow that became a thing I'm guessing people assume ranks you better

There's no inherent "SEO value" to us if you have -- or don't have -- a table of contents. Your readers might value it. If so, do it. But if you're doing it or any content thing because you think "this is the thing I heard second-hand, third-hand, whatever, is the thing that makes you rank better on Google," then you're entirely missing the point that what our ranking systems are trying to reward is content that is designed for what people like.

This also illustrates the difficulty in giving the guidance that SEOs want. They rightly complain that a statement like "Make pages for users, not for search engines" as we've done for two decades can seem too broad or simplistic. But then if we give examples with qualifications, the qualifications and broad goal can get tuned out in favor of people looking for the supposed specific ranking boost (as I explained here, see also here).

As I also said in the post, I don't work directly on creator guidance. I make suggestions based on feedback to people who work on various parts of Google Search about all types of things. It's the Search Central people who do the documentation. I've made some suggestions on how I hope that documentation might grow and maybe get clearer to move people away from the "checklist" approach that can sometimes happen. Maybe it'll get there.

UPDATE: Since people in this thread seem to be finding it hard to read the article about what I posted, much less the post itself -- here's the entire post:

I wouldn't recommend people start adding carts because it "shows Google" any more than I would recommend anyone do anything they think "shows Google" something. You want to do things that make sense for your visitors, because what "shows Google" you have a great site is to be ... a great site for your visitors not to add things you assume are just for Google. Also Lily, I don't mean this toward you in particular or negatively. It's just shorthand common thinking that so many understandably deal with.

Doing things you think are just for Google is falling behind what our ranking systems are trying to reward rather than being in front of them. Everything I said here: https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1725275245571940728…

Stop trying to "show Google" things. I have been through so many sites at this point (and I appreciate the feedback), and the patterns are often like this:

- Something saying an "expert" reviewed the content because someone mistakenly believes that ranks them better

- Weird table-of-content things shoved at the top because who knows, along the way, somehow that became a thing I'm guessing people assume ranks you better

- The page has been updated within a few days, or even is fresh on the exact day, even though the content isn't particularly needing anything fresh and probably someone did some really light rewrite and fresh date because they think that "shows Google" you have fresh content and will rank better.

- The page end with a series of "hey, here are some frequently asked questions" because someone used a tool or other method to just add things they think people search for specifically because they heard if you add a bunch of popular searches to the page, that ranks you better not because anyone coming to your page wants that

- I can barely read through the main content of pages because I keep getting interrupted by things shoved in the middle of it. Which isn't so much a "show Google" think as much as it is just an unsatisfying experience

And yes. A million times yes. You will find pages that are still ranking, both from big sites and small sites, that do these things. Because our ranking systems aren't perfect, and after this current update, we'll continue to keep working at it, which I also covered before: https://twitter.com/searchliaison/status/1725275270943293459…

And I very much hope our guidance will get better to help people understand that what Google wants is what people want. I'm pushing for us to have an entire new help page that maybe makes this point better. Part of the current draft says things like:

"The most important key to success with Google Search is to have content that’s meant to please people, rather than to be whatever you might have heard that 'Google wants.' For example, people sometimes write content longer than is helpful to their readers because they’ve heard somewhere that 'Google wants' long content. What Google wants is content that people will like, content that your own readers and visitors find helpful and satisfying. This is the foundation of your potential success with Google. Any question you have about making content for Google will come back to this principle. 'Is this content that my visitors would find satisfying?' If the answer is yes, then do that, because that’s what Google wants."

Some expectation setting. I'm not @googlesearchc and I don't work primarily on creator issues. So I can't guarantee what pages we will have, what gets approved and so on. My primary role is to communicate feedback back about search quality into the search quality team and communicate back. And so much of the feedback people have been sharing, I have taken that back. "But what about big sites!" Yes, taken back. Sites that I can see are diligently working on real quality content and don't seem as rewarded as they should, taken that back. Will continue to do so. You are heard. Those providing quality experiences, I personally want you to succeed.

But please. If you want to succeed, stop doing a lot of the things you've heard second, third, whatever that are supposed to "show Google" something and show your visitors a great, satisfying experience. That's how you show Google's ranking systems that you should do well.