By Shad Super in Questions —

What Steps Can Be Taken if a Canonical Tag Is Correctly Set but the Preferred Page Is Still Not Indexed?

Summary

If your canonical tag is correctly set but the preferred page is still not indexed, it is essential to recognize that there are multiple factors and steps that can help resolve this issue. These steps include verifying the canonical tag, ensuring sufficient content uniqueness, improving internal linking, checking for technical issues, and utilizing Google Search Console. Here’s a comprehensive guide to address this.

Verify the Canonical Tag

Firstly, ensure the canonical tag is properly implemented. Any errors in the tag’s syntax or incorrect URL references can impede indexing.

  • Ensure the canonical tag is placed within the <head> section of the HTML.
  • Verify that the URL in the canonical tag points to the correct preferred page.
  • Check if there are multiple canonical tags on the page, as this can confuse search engines.

For detailed guidelines, refer to Google’s documentation on canonicalization.

Ensure Content Uniqueness

Content that is too similar to other pages (either on your site or elsewhere) can hinder indexing. Follow these steps to ensure content uniqueness:

  • Provide unique and valuable content to avoid being flagged as duplicate content.
  • Check if the content is syndicated elsewhere; ensure proper canonical tags if it is.
  • Avoid boilerplate content and focus on adding substantial, unique information.

For more information on avoiding duplicate content, visit Google's guide on duplicate content.

Improve Internal Linking

Internal links guide search engines to your preferred page. Strong internal linking signals the importance of a page within your site.

  • Ensure key pages across your site link back to the preferred canonical page.
  • Use descriptive anchor text that clearly states what the page is about.

Learn more about internal linking best practices from Moz’s internal linking guide.

Check for Technical Issues

Robots.txt and Meta Tags

Confirm that your page is not being blocked by robots.txt or meta tag directives.

  • Ensure there is no Disallow directive in robots.txt blocking the page.
  • Make sure the page does not have a <meta name="robots" content="noindex"> tag.

Refer to the Google Developer’s guide for more on managing robots.txt files and meta tags.

Utilize Google Search Console

Google Search Console (GSC) offers tools and insights to debug and resolve indexing issues:

  • Coverage Report: Check the Coverage report for any errors or warnings on the affected page.
  • URL Inspection Tool: Inspect the URL to see how Google views the page and address any discovered issues.
  • Request Indexing: Use the URL Inspection Tool to request indexing after making necessary changes.

Explore Google’s official guide on using Search Console for index coverage.

Improve Page Quality

Quality improvements can sometimes make a significant difference in indexing:

  • Improve page load speed by optimizing images and leveraging browser caching. For techniques to enhance page speed, see Google’s guide on optimizing content efficiency.
  • Enhance user experience by ensuring mobile-friendliness and reducing intrusive interstitials. For detailed advice, refer to Google’s mobile SEO guide.

Conclusion

Addressing canonical tag issues when the preferred page is not indexed involves verifying the tag, ensuring content uniqueness, improving internal linking, checking for technical issues, and utilizing Google Search Console. Each of these steps plays a critical role in improving your page's chances of being successfully crawled and indexed.

References