By Shad Super in Questions —

What Diagnostic Tools Are Available to Analyze Issues With Canonical Tags and Indexing?

Summary

Diagnosing issues with canonical tags and indexing involves using several diagnostic tools to monitor, analyze, and resolve errors. These tools include Google Search Console, Screaming Frog SEO Spider, and other specialized online utilities. Below is a detailed explanation of how to use these tools effectively.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) is one of the most powerful tools available for diagnosing issues with canonical tags and indexing.

Index Coverage Report

This report shows how many pages from your site are indexed and any issues preventing pages from being indexed. You can access it through GSC Index Coverage Report.

URL Inspection Tool

The URL Inspection Tool provides detailed information about the indexed version of a specific page. You can detect issues with canonical tags by inspecting whether the correct canonical URL has been selected by Google. More information can be found at GSC URL Inspection Tool.

Screaming Frog SEO Spider

Screaming Frog SEO Spider is a desktop program that allows you to crawl websites' URLs and fetch key onsite elements for SEO analysis.

Canonical Tag Analysis

This tool can help identify canonical tag errors across your site. You can run a crawl and filter for pages with canonical tags to ensure they are correctly implemented. Learn more about this feature here.

Indexability Report

Screaming Frog provides an indexability status report that highlights pages blocked from indexing due to canonical errors or other issues. This feature is detailed further at Screaming Frog Indexability Configuration.

Other Diagnostic Tools

SEO Tools for Excel

SEO Tools for Excel is an add-in that brings SEO data from various sources directly into Excel for in-depth analysis.

Canonical URL Check

You can use this tool to fetch canonical URLs and analyze implementation across extensive data sets. Detailed instructions can be found at SEO Tools for Excel.

Semrush Site Audit

Semrush also offers a thorough site auditing tool that helps identify canonicalization issues. You can read more about using this tool for SEO audits here.

Ahrefs Site Audit Tool

The Ahrefs Site Audit Tool helps detect canonical tag issues and provides insights on how to fix them. More information is available at Ahrefs Site Audit Tool.

Conclusion

Using these diagnostic tools, you can thoroughly analyze and resolve issues related to canonical tags and indexing. By leveraging Google Search Console, Screaming Frog, and other specialized SEO tools, you can ensure your website's pages are properly indexed and free of canonical errors.

References