How to Fix Google Selecting the Wrong Canonical URL
Seeking Advice: Google Chooses Incorrect Canonical URL
Hello everyone, I am looking for some guidance to resolve the following issue. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
One of our pages that typically receives substantial traffic has mysteriously disappeared from Google’s index. Upon inspecting the URL in Google Search Console, I found a message stating: “Page is not indexed, Google chose different canonical.” Interestingly, the canonical page selected by Google is completely unrelated to the original page. Here’s the screenshot for reference:
Here are some steps I attempted to resolve the issue, but unfortunately, they did not work:
- I added a canonical tag to the main page.
- I de-indexed the page chosen by Google as canonical (specifically, the /terms-of-service page).
After making these changes, I clicked on “validate fix” in Google Search Console. However, a few days later, I received an email from Google stating that “validation failed.”
Any advice on how to address this problem would be immensely helpful. Thank you in advance!
2 responses to “Help: Google Chooses the Wrong Canonical URL. How to Correct This?”
When Google incorrectly selects a canonical URL for a page that isn’t the one you’ve designated, it can create issues with indexing and traffic. Here’s a detailed plan on how to address this problem:
Steps to Correct Canonical Misconfiguration
<head>section of the HTML. The tag should point to the URL you want Google to index.html<link rel="canonical" href="https://yourwebsite.com/your-desired-page/" />
Check Other Pages: Confirm other pages are not incorrectly pointing to the URL Google mistakenly considers canonical. This issue might arise if multiple pages have misconfigured canonical tags pointing to the wrong page.
Utilize URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console:
Use the URL Inspection Tool to test the live URL of the page. This will give you insight into what Google sees and help diagnose potential issues.
Review and Rectify HTTP Headers:
Sometimes, canonical links might be inadvertently set in HTTP headers. Utilize tools like cURL or browser developer tools to verify that server responses don’t include conflicting canonical directives.
Evaluate sitemap.xml:
Submit to Google Search Console: Re-submit your updated sitemap in Google Search Console to prompt re-crawling and re-evaluation by Google’s systems.
Perform a Content Check:
Internal Linking Structure: Ensure that internal links throughout your site are pointing to the correct URL.
Review Redirects and URL Structure:
Check for any potential redirects that might confuse Google’s crawlers and ensure there are no complex or faulty redirect chains.
Fetch as Google Tool:
Use the “Request Indexing” option in the URL Inspection Tool to ask for re-crawling after rectifying the issues. This can expedite the validation of corrections made.
Check for Duplicate Content:
Hi there! It sounds like you’re dealing with a frustrating issue, and I can definitely understand how concerning it must be to see your traffic affected. Here are a few additional steps you might consider to further address the problem:
1. **Check for Duplicate Content**: Sometimes, Google selects a different canonical URL due to perceived duplicate content. Ensure that your primary page isn’t inadvertently replicating content found elsewhere on your site or on other sites.
2. **Review Internal Linking**: Make sure that your internal links point to the correct canonical version of the page. If Google is picking up links that lead to the unrelated canonical, it might influence their decision.
3. **Use URL Inspection Tool**: In Google Search Console, use the URL Inspection tool to analyze the original page in question. This can help you identify indexing issues or robots.txt directives that might impede Google’s ability to crawl the page.
4. **Check Schema Markup**: If you have schema markup on your pages, ensure that it’s implemented correctly. Sometimes errors in structured data can affect how Google interprets your site’s content.
5. **Revisit Your Canonical Tags**: Since you’ve already implemented a canonical tag, double-check that it’s properly formatted and that there’s no conflicting information between the canonical tag and the Sitemap.
6. **Patience and Monitoring**: Sometimes, it takes time for Google to re-evaluate its indexing decisions. Keep monitoring the situation through Search Console, and consider submitting a reconsideration request if the issue