Tag Archive for: canonical tags

How to fix: Pages with too many parameters in their URLs

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Issue: URLs with too many parameters (e.g., ?id=123&name=test&page=2&sort=asc) are hard for users to understand and may confuse search engines, leading to indexing problems.

Fix: Limit the number of URL parameters to four or fewer for better readability and SEO.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Simplify Your URLs: Remove unnecessary parameters or combine them into simpler formats.
    • Example: Change ?id=123&name=test&page=2&sort=asc to /products/test?page=2.
  2. Use Static URLs When Possible: Replace dynamic parameter-based URLs with clean, static URLs.
    • Example: /product/test is better than /product?id=123.
  3. Set Rules for URL Parameters in Google Search Console: If parameters are necessary, use Google Search Console to define how search engines should handle them.
    • Example: Specify which parameters to ignore to avoid duplicate content.
  4. Implement Canonical Tags: If multiple parameter variations exist, use a canonical tag to point search engines to the main version of the URL.
    • Example: <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/product/test">.
  5. Test URLs: Ensure your simplified URLs still work and lead to the correct pages.

Tip: Clean, simple URLs improve user trust, SEO rankings, and search engine efficiency.

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How to fix: Pages with a broken canonical link

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Issue: Canonical tags point search engines to the preferred page version. If they link to non-existent pages, it wastes crawl resources and hurts SEO.

Fix: Check and fix broken canonical links by updating or removing them to point to existing pages.

Tip: Accurate canonical links improve search engine efficiency and indexing.

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How to fix: AMP pages with no canonical tag

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Ensure proper linking between AMP and non-AMP pages to avoid duplicate content issues.

Add a Canonical Tag
Establish the original version of your content using the canonical tag. For pages with both AMP and non-AMP versions, place the canonical tag on the AMP page, pointing to the non-AMP URL.

Example: <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/non-amp-version/" />

Use Self-Referential Canonical Tags
When only an AMP version exists, ensure the canonical tag points to itself.

Example: <link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/amp-version/" />

Validation and Testing
Regularly check AMP pages for validation errors using tools like Google’s AMP Test or Semrush.

Following these guidelines will help improve SEO and prevent content duplication issues.

 

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How to fix: Pages with duplicate content issues

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Issue: Pages with very similar content (85% or more) are seen as duplicates, which can hurt your SEO. Google will typically only index one version, which may not be the page you want, and may penalize sites with duplicate content by lowering rankings or even banning them. Duplicate pages can also weaken your link authority.

Fix: Address duplicate content with one of these methods:

  • Add a rel="canonical"tag to one version to show Google which page to prioritize.
  • Use a 301 redirect from duplicates to the main page.
  • For paginated content, add rel="next" and rel="prev" tags.
  • In Google Search Console, set URL parameters to guide Google on how to treat similar pages.
  • Add some unique content to each page to make them distinct.

Tip: Reducing duplicate content improves SEO by helping search engines focus on your preferred pages.

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