How to Fix the Alternate page with the proper Canonical tag

Your web page is not indexed and you are seeing this error “Alternate page with proper canonical tag”? Don't worry, this means you have multiple versions of the page on your website having the same canonical URL.

It means that the page is a duplicate therefore the canonical is set. Most of the time nothing needs to be fixed or done. Only when the canonical is set incorrectly then it needs to be fixed.

How to Verify the Warning is Correct & Accurate

We first need to verify whether the warning served in your page indexing report is correct and that we need to fix something. To do this, you can go to the Indexly page inspection tab and enter the site details, which shows the error that Google says has an alternate page with a proper canonical tag. Inspection page UI will look like this -

What are Canonical Tags?

A canonical URL is the version of a webpage chosen by search engines like Google and prioritized to avoid showing repetitive content that does not provide unique value in search results. If you have two pages on your website and both have similar content.

E.g. lets suppose we have two pages

indexly.ai/p1

indexly.ai/p2

If both pages have similar content then you would add a canonical tag to the HTML code of one of the pages, let's say the page is indexly.ai/p1. This tells the search engine that the p1 page is the canonical version and should be indexed

Why Canonical tags?

If two sites have the same content then it will be a case of keyword damage and as a result, both of your sites will compete for rankings.

Google doesn’t always make the decision you want. However, you can influence canonicalization by using canonical tags. In the Google search console, you can mark one of those pages as “canonical” which means “main” and it will appear in search results and others will not.

This can be done by specifying the canonical URL using the tag in the HTML header

<link rel="canonical" href="...">

Website owners signal to search engines which version of the content should be indexed and displayed in search results. This helps prevent issues such as duplicate content penalties and ensures that the desired version of the page ranks well in search engine results.

Other reasons why you may be seeing this error is due to following

1. Identify Duplicate Content: Determine which pages have alternate versions or duplicate content. This could include different URLs for the same content, such as HTTP vs. HTTPS, www vs. non-www, or parameterized URLs.
2. Implement Proper Redirects: If necessary, set up 301 redirects from alternate URLs to the preferred version. This ensures that users and search engines are automatically redirected to the canonical URL.
3. Update Internal Links: Ensure that internal links within the website point to the canonical URL rather than alternate versions. This helps consolidate link equity and avoids confusion.
4. Update Sitemap: If applicable, update the website's XML sitemap to include only the canonical URLs. This helps search engines discover and index the preferred versions of the content.
5. Monitor and Maintain: Regularly monitor the website for any new instances of duplicate content and ensure that canonical tags are properly implemented. Stay updated with changes to the website's structure to maintain canonicalization.

How to fix the “Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag” Status Message

Identifying the Error in Indexly

1. Log into Indexly:
   Start by logging into your Indexly account. If you don’t have an account, you can sign up here.
2. Index Your Website:
   Use the Instant indexing feature in Indexly to submit a request for indexing on Google and Bing.
3. Review Canonical Tags:
   Once you've indexed and pages are identified as problematic pages, review the canonical tags on each page.

Steps to Fix the Error

Step 1: Analyze Duplicate Content

Determine the cause of the duplicate content. Use tools like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to identify pages with similar content. Consider the following:

• Are there multiple URLs for the same content?
• Are there staging or test versions of your site indexed?

Step 2: Implement Correct Canonical Tags

Once you've identified duplicate pages, it's time to implement or correct the canonical tags. Ensure that every duplicate page has a canonical tag pointing to the preferred version. Here's an example of a canonical tag:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/preferred-page-url" />

Make sure to replace the URL with the correct preferred page URL.

Step 3: Validate Changes in the Google Search Console

Once you’ve implemented the changes, go back to Google Search Console:

1. Navigate to the "Coverage" report again.
2. Click the 'Validate Fix' button near the warning.
3. Monitor the results over the next few days to ensure that the error has been resolved.

Step 4: Post-correction of the error

Once you have made your changes, you can log in to the Indexly > Instant Indexing page and submit the page again for indexing in Google and Bing. index the canonical page faster.

Common Troubleshooting Tips

• Check for Typos: Ensure that there are no typographical errors in the URLs provided in the canonical tags.
• Ensure Consistency: If your site uses both the "www" and "non-www" versions of a URL, make sure to follow a consistent pattern.
• Redirects: Ensure there are no unnecessary redirects that may confuse the crawling process.
• Content Management System (CMS) Settings: Review your CMS settings for any automatic canonical tag implementations needing adjustment.

Conclusion

The "alternate page with proper canonical tag" error in Google Search Console can be daunting, but by following the steps outlined in this article, you can resolve the issue effectively. Properly utilizing canonical tags is crucial for maintaining your website's SEO health. Regular audits and best practices can lead to a more optimized site and improved visibility in search results.

FAQs

1. What is a canonical tag?

A canonical tag is an HTML link element that tells search engines which version of a page is the preferred one to index, preventing duplicate content issues.

2. How can I find duplicate content on my site?

You can use tools like Screaming Frog, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to crawl your website and identify pages with similar or identical content.

3. Why does Google Search Console show alternate page errors?

Google Search Console displays alternate page errors due to the presence of duplicate content on your site without proper canonicalization.

4. What happens if I ignore canonical tag errors?

Ignoring canonical tag errors can lead to poor indexing of your content, reduced visibility in search results, and potential penalties from search engines for duplicate content.

5. Can I set multiple canonical tags for a single page?

No, it's not advisable to set multiple canonical tags for a single page, as this will confuse search engines about which URL to prioritize.

6. How long does it take for Google to recrawl my site after fixing canonical tag issues?

Typically, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for Google to recrawl your site and reflect the changes in Google Search Console. You can use tools like Indexly for faster indexing.

Supercharge your SEO with Indexly

It usually takes a few weeks for Googlebot to crawl and index your website's pages. However, Indexly can simplify this process by automatically checking your sitemaps, finding new pages, and submitting them to Google Search Console.

This reduces human effort and errors and significantly reduces the time it takes to get indexed. When your website's pages are indexed, they rank higher on search engines, ultimately boosting organic traffic.