Fixing the 'Alternate page with proper canonical tag' issue
The "Alternate page with proper canonical tag" issue flagged by Google indexing typically indicates that Google has discovered a page on your site that it considers to be an alternate version of another page, and it suggests using a canonical tag to specify which version should be considered the primary or "canonical" version. This is often encountered in scenarios where similar or duplicate content appears on multiple URLs. To fix this issue, follow these steps:
1. Identify duplicate or similar content
First, identify the pages that are considered duplicates or very similar in content. You may have intended these pages to serve different purposes or target different audiences, but if their content is substantially similar, Google may not index them as you expect.
2. Decide on the canonical version
Determine which version of the content you want search engines to index and present in search results. This version is your "canonical" page. Ideally, this should be the version that is most comprehensive, useful, and user-friendly.
3. Implement canonical tags
On all alternate versions of the page, add a canonical tag in the <head> section of the HTML that points to the URL of the canonical version. The tag looks like this:
Replace "http://www.example.com/canonical-version-page/" with the URL of the page you’ve determined to be the canonical version.
4. Apply canonical tags across variations
If your content variations are due to URL parameters (for example, tracking codes, session IDs, or product variations), make sure to implement the canonical tag across these variations as well.
5. Verify implementation
Use tools like Google Search Console or a crawler tool to verify that the canonical tags are implemented correctly and recognized by search engines. Google Search Console can provide feedback on whether Google acknowledges the canonical tags and any issues with your implementation.
6. Monitor the results
After implementing the canonical tags, monitor your site’s performance in Google Search Console to see how the changes affect your site's indexing and search rankings. It may take some time for search engines to process the changes.
7. Avoid conflicting signals
Make sure not to send conflicting signals to search engines - for instance, don’t use a canonical tag to point to one page while using a robots.txt file or meta tags to block that same page. Consistency is key.
Implementing and fixing the proper use of canonical tags is a crucial step in SEO to help search engines understand your content structure better and index your site more effectively. If you’re unsure about implementing these changes, consider consulting with an SEO professional to ensure that the modifications align with your overall SEO strategy.