Troubleshooting Canonical URL Issues: A Guide to Regaining Your Page’s Index Status
Hello everyone,
I hope you’re all doing well! I’m seeking your expertise to navigate a frustrating situation that I’ve encountered regarding one of our top-performing web pages, and I would greatly appreciate any insights you may have.
Recently, I noticed that one of our most visited pages has disappeared from Google’s index. Upon inspecting the URL in Google Search Console, I discovered that Google has flagged it with the message: “Page is not indexed, Google chose a different canonical.” To make matters worse, the canonical URL selected by Google seems completely irrelevant to the content of my original page. (You can view a screenshot of the issue here: Screenshot)
In my attempts to resolve this matter, I’ve tried a few strategies without success:
- I implemented a canonical tag on the primary page to reinforce its status.
- I attempted to de-index the page that Google has incorrectly chosen as canonical, which is the /terms-of-service page.
- After making these adjustments, I clicked “Validate Fix” in Google Search Console, only to receive a disappointing “validation failed” notification a few days later.
If anyone has experienced similar issues or has tips on how to deal with incorrect canonical selections by Google, I’d love to hear from you. Your guidance would be immensely helpful as I look to restore the visibility of our page. Thank you in advance for your support!
2 responses to “A Guide to Correcting Google’s Misclassification of URLs”
It sounds frustrating that Google has chosen a different canonical URL for your high-traffic page, particularly since that unrelated page is causing indexing issues. Let’s tackle this step by step, providing new insights along the way.
Understanding Canonical Tags
A canonical tag (rel=”canonical”) is essentially a way for you to tell search engines which page is the authoritative version of a piece of content. If improperly used or conflicting signals are present, search engines might get confused, which seems to be the case here.
Steps to Resolve the Issue
Use Only One Canonical URL: Make sure that the main page has a single canonical tag pointing to itself, while the
/terms-of-servicepage should either not contain a canonical tag or point to itself.Analyze Internal Linking
/terms-of-servicepage is more authoritative. Internal links with proper anchor text should point to the relevant page for better clarity.Prioritize the Correct Page: Ensure your site navigation and footer are linking to the canonical page you want indexed, not the unrelated terms of service page.
Examine External Links
/terms-of-servicepage, consider reaching out to webmasters to request changes if applicable.Disavow Bad Links: If there are low-quality or spammy backlinks pointing to the page that Google indexed instead, you might want to disavow them through Google Search Console.
Implement Relevant Content Updates
Utilize Schema Markup: Implement rich snippets and structured data to help Google better understand the content and importance of the page.
Utilize Google Search Console Correctly
Monitor for Updates: Keep an eye on Search Console for any updates or further notifications about indexing statuses. Sometimes it takes a bit for Google to refresh its index based on changes made.
Check for Robots.txt and NoIndex Tags
noindexdirectives mistakenly applied to your main page or any disallow rules in yourrobots.txtthat might prevent Google from crawling the page effectively.Additional Considerations
By carefully following these steps, you should be well on your way to resolving the canonical URL issue. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to share any further developments or questions!
Hi there! I can completely empathize with your frustration regarding Google’s handling of canonical URLs—it’s a challenge many website owners face. One potential area to explore is the content overlap between the pages in question. If Google is deeming another page as the canonical version, it may indicate that it finds similar content or a lack of unique value in your original page.
Here are a few strategies you might consider:
1. **Content Review**: Reassess the content of both the flagged page and the misidentified canonical page. Are there key differentiators? Making adjustments to enhance the uniqueness and value of your original page might improve its chances of being recognized as the canonical version.
2. **Backlink Audit**: Analyze your backlink profile. If the wrongly designated canonical page has a stronger backlink profile, it could influence Google’s choice. Building quality backlinks to your original page may help signal its importance.
3. **Internal Linking**: Ensure that your original page is well linked from other relevant pages on your site. This can help boost its authority and visibility in Google’s eyes.
4. **XML Sitemap**: Double-check your XML sitemap to ensure that your original page is correctly listed. Sometimes, updates to sitemaps can prompt Google to revisit indexing choices.
5. **Fetch as Google**: Use the “URL Inspection” tool to request indexing after making adjustments. This can sometimes expedite the reassessment process.
6. **Monitor Performance**: Keep an eye on the “Performance”