For several reasons, your website has multiple links pointing to the same page or identical content on different URLs.
When a web page has an alternate page with a proper canonical tag condition, its chances of being indexed are slim.
That is because it makes it hard for Google to pick the original page with a proper canonical tag. And, it may choose the page on its own considering it original, ignoring the other web pages.
Therefore, it is important to find such issues and fix them if you don’t want your page to be affected and save the crawl budget.
So, in this blog, we will discuss how you can check and resolve the alternate page with proper canonical tag coverage issues.
Learn More: Taming Canonical Chaos: Find & Solve Canonical Issues For Better SEO
What Does an Alternate Page with a Proper Canonical Tag Issue Mean?
When you have many versions of the same page on your website, and you designate one of these versions as the canonical one in one of the following two ways:
- Canonical tags that link to the canonical page should be implemented on all other duplicate pages.
- A self-referencing canonical tag on the canonical page.
Google should index only the page with a self-referencing canonical tag. That means all other pages in the GSC report should be titled an alternate page with a proper canonical tag.
If you wish to fix the alternate page with a proper canonical tag status, you need to verify that you have implemented a proper canonical tag on your website.
4 Common Reasons for Alternate Page with a Proper Canonical Tag Issue
Here is why you may face the alternate page with a proper canonical tag issue:
1. Problems with URL Structure
Google may treat your alternate page as a separate entity if its URL structure differs slightly from the main page’s.
Search engines use the URL as a crucial identifier to determine the relationships between pages.
You can manage an online store with a conventional URL structure such as /products/product-name/ for your main product page. Even what you call a minor change is enough to confuse Google.
It may regard another version as a new page if it adds more parameters, such as /products/product-name/?variant=2.
2. Having Dynamic Content
With 80% of the audience preferring a personalized experience when making a buying decision, using smart interactive content is almost mandatory for businesses.
Dynamic content constantly changes due to user interactions or real-time updates.
When this happens, Google can have trouble identifying the original source because the material changes.
Imagine a news website where the most recent headlines are dynamically displayed on the homepage.
If Google indexes the page during a large news update, it may not instantly detect stable, authoritative information.
3. Variations in Content
You occasionally create alternate pages with some altered material, such as adding details or changing the descriptions slightly.
Due to these changes, search engines may find it difficult to identify the most authoritative version.
Assume you have a product page that offers different variants for different sizes. The variations may appear insignificant, but Google may have trouble identifying the source without a clear signal.
4. Using Pagination & Infinite Scrolling
Websites that use infinite scroll or pagination (separating digital content into discrete pages) may have difficulties since several pages load dynamically from a single URL.
Different product variants may be showcased on alternate pages of an e-commerce website with infinite scrolling products.
With a proper canonical tag, the ultimate product page may be easier for search engines to identify.
If your website has any of these features leading to an alternate page with a proper canonical tag, don’t stress. You can easily resolve it in a few steps.
How to Fix an Alternate Page with a Proper Canonical Tag in WordPress
To identify the alternate page with a proper canonical tag, use the coverage report in Google Search Console. So, you will have to visit the pages in the indexing section.
To diagnose issues like similar content, you can use tools like Screaming Frog.
Once you spot the issue, you basically have to inform Google which version of the duplicate material you want to choose. To select the source page, you should stick to criteria like relevance, traffic, and backlinks.
Then, you have to set canonical URLs. To do that, you have two options at your disposal: install a plugin such as Rank Math or Yoast SEO or change the code yourself.
For every page, find the canonical URL setting and enter the chosen version’s canonical URL here.
If you select the second option, open the header.php file for your theme and add the code within the section.
Remember, at this step, you need to be careful using the code. You have to place the URL with the actual canonical URL.
If you have undesired pages, use 301 redirects. For instance, you can employ a 301 redirect to move it to the canonical version. You can either manually edit the .htaccess file or use a plugin like Redirection.
In the second last step, ensure that the internal links point to the canonical version. If there are any links leading to non-canonical pages, you can take care of them.
Finally, Google Search Console frequently needs to be checked for problems related to canonicalization, specifically after content changes.
To know more about 301 redirects in SEO, head over to this blog.
How to Fix an Alternate Page with a Proper Canonical Tag in Rank Math
The first step is to identify the duplicate pages on your website. To do this, go to Google Search Console’s Pages section and select the Not Indexed option, just like described in the previous section.
Next, select the status of an alternate page with a proper canonical tag. This will display a list of every page on your website that has this status assigned to it.
After obtaining a list of the impacted pages from Rank Math’s Index Status tab or Google Search Console, you must verify that they include the proper canonical URL. (You will be able to see the index status on Rank Math only if you have the pro version.)
Changing the canonical URL with the meta box is made simple by the Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin.
You only need to modify a parameter if you want to change the canonical URL that Rank Math uses by default, which is the current post/page URL. An alternative name for this is a self-referencing canonical.
You can update the Canonical URL field in the Rank Math meta box’s Advanced tab to point to your content’s primary source. If you cannot find the Advanced tab, please activate the Advanced Mode from WordPress Dashboard.
After completing the Canonical URL setting, just update the page as you usually would after making a modification, or click Publish if the page has just been established.
You can add the canonical tag straight to the web page’s head element if you utilize a custom-built website.
How to Fix an Alternate Page with a Proper Canonical Tag in Magento
Even if you have a store with fewer products, they will still be displayed on pages with pagination options. So, an alternate page with a proper canonical tag due to pagination can be common.
To fix an alternate page with a proper canonical tag, you must recognize paginated sites and implement efficient methods for managing search engine crawlers.
To start, find paginated pages in your Magento store.
Run a Google search with the following query: site:yoursite.com inurl:page.
This search aids in locating pages that denote paginated information.
Use the meta tag in the head portion of duplicate content pages to stop Google from indexing all paginated pages.
This tag instructs search engines not to index the page or click any of its links. You can change the values as needed to suit your requirements.
Don’t block URLs with a robot.txt file since other websites can link to them, and Google may still perceive the pages as unique. This may affect your backlinking strategy.
So, rather than using a robot.txt file, it is better to use a proper canonical tag to identify pages with duplicate content.
When duplicate content is present, this tag indicates a preferred version of the page.
When two or more pages have nearly identical information, it is referred to as duplication.
The most common example of full duplication in Magento is when you put the same product in several categories. As an illustration:
For a website that sells bags, the URLs may look like this:
http://www.site.com/bag/accessory.html
http://www.site.com/for-her/bag.html
http://www.site.com/gifts/bag.html
Three separate URLs for the same product won’t work well because of Google’s criteria. What you can do is as follows:
Take off the category path from the URL so that every product. No matter how many divisions you may find apt for it, use one address, such as http://www.site.com/bag.html.
How to Fix an Alternate Page with a Proper Canonical Tag in Shopify
First, you need to log in to your Shopify page. Then, click on Yoast SEO, which is in the apps section.
Locate and click on the product, page, collection, blog post, or blog you wish to alter under the Optimize tab.
Open the Yoast SEO sidebar and select the Advanced tab.
Fill the Canonical URL section with the right canonical URL, including http/s, www, and non-www.
If you are already in the product, collection, page, blog, or blog post editing screen, you can reach the Yoast SEO optimizing screen by clicking the More actions button at the top of the screen and choosing Optimize with Yoast SEO.
Search for pages that Google ought to index by reviewing the report’s list of pages.
If you discover any pages that you would like to have indexed as canonical, make sure they have self-referencing canonical tags applied. You should also update your sitemap and any internal links to these pages.
If you’re battling with a limited crawl budget, consider restricting Google from the other pages to redirect its resources to more critical URLs
Use the robots.txt file to accomplish this; by using a Disallow command, you may stop Google from squandering its crawl budget on pointless pages.
But keep in mind that for Google to see the canonical tag, it must first visit your pages. By default, do not allow robots.txt to prevent your alternate pages from being crawled.
FAQs
Why do I need a proper canonical tag on alternate pages?
A canonical tag tells search engines which version of the page is the original, preventing problems with duplicate material.
Do I still need a proper canonical tag if I don’t have duplicate content on web pages?
You only need canonical tags when pages have comparable content but minor differences, such as different URLs or versions.
How do search engines handle a page with canonical tags?
Search engines do not index alternative pages, and they prefer the original page specified by the canonical tag.
Final Words
Now you have the information on how to fix an alternate page with a proper canonical tag.
Properly managing these issues can help in increasing your website traffic, accelerate the indexing process, and get better ranking.
However, not every website owner is equipped with the knowledge and time to conduct regular audits.
To explore the best SEO strategies, resolve various SEO-related challenges, and take action as per user behavior and recent trends, you can contact the Dreams Agency.
With adept tool management skills, we can help you solve countless SEO hurdles and drive significant traffic.