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Google stopped indexing my pages of the customer portal because of alternate with canonical tag.

alex892
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I have been working on a customer portal last year and everything was working fine after publishing it (the SEO was great!) 

One month ago I stumbled upon the analytics and saw that they dramatically decreased. The organic traffic was very small because Google was slowly taking down our solution articles (400+) and only 8 of them were still indexed.

Most of the pages are in status discovered/crawled but not indexed. I checked in various threads and forums and it looks like it is because the main landing page has a wrong canonical defined. https://assistenza.zanichelli.it/support/home has this canonical declared: (https://assistenza.zanichelli.it/support/solutions). 

I define the canonical dynamically on the header so I don't have a way to manually specify the canonical for the main landingpage. 

<link rel="canonical" href="{{ meta.canonical }}">

All the other article pages have a proper canonical (dynamically generated) but it looks like since the indexing of the main page fails, Google is removing most almost all of my articles for the search results. 

Do you know how I could fix this? 

14 replies

brycejune
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HIi Alex,

It seems like the issue you are facing with the indexing of your customer portal is due to the wrong canonical URL declared on the main landing page. To fix this issue, you can try the following steps:

  1. Update the canonical URL: As you mentioned, the wrong canonical URL is declared on the main landing page, which is causing indexing issues. You can update the canonical URL to the correct one, which should help Google to index your pages properly.

  2. Submit the sitemap: Ensure that the sitemap for your customer portal is up to date and includes all the URLs that you want to be indexed. You can then submit the sitemap to Google Search Console to help them crawl and index your pages more efficiently.

  3. Check for other technical issues: Sometimes, there may be other technical issues that can impact indexing, such as crawl errors, broken links, or duplicate content. You can use tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush to identify and fix these issues.

  4. Increase content relevance and quality: Google's algorithms prioritize high-quality and relevant content. You may want to review your articles and ensure they are informative and useful to your target audience. You can also optimize your content with relevant keywords to improve their relevance and visibility.

By following these steps, you should be able to fix the indexing issue and improve your portal's search engine visibility.

Regards,

Bryce

karldrogo
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  1. Check your website's sitemap to make sure that all of the URLs that you want to be indexed are included in the sitemap. You can also submit the sitemap to Google through the Google Search Console to ensure that it is being properly crawled.

  2. Check the Google Search Console to see if there are any crawl errors or warnings related to your website. Fixing any errors or warnings can help ensure that Google is properly crawling and indexing your website.

  3. Make sure that the canonical tag on your main landing page is pointing to the correct URL. If the canonical tag is incorrect, Google may not index the page properly. You may need to modify the code that generates the canonical tag to ensure that it is pointing to the correct URL.

alex892
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Thank you for the replies.

I built the portal with Freshdesk and I didn't find ways to change the sitemap nor the canonical of the main landing page.

The sitemap is this one and contains all the articles correctly: https://assistenza.zanichelli.it/support/sitemap.xml . 

Do you know if there is a way in Freshdesk to have the canonical configured manually for the landing page? I am asking this as the dynamic tag I used in the header works correctly for all the pages, but not for the landing page

<link rel="canonical" href="{{ meta.canonical }}">
Jameela
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on the analytics and saw that they dramatically decreased. The organic traffic was very small because Google was slowly taking down our solution articles (400+) and only 8 of them were still indexed.

 

 

K
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Go to Coverage > Alternate page with proper canonical tag and check what pages are listed there, and whether these pages should be canonicalized at all. If you find pages that shouldn't be canonicalized, update the canonical link to point to itself.

Jameela
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Google has stopped indexing the pages of your customer portal because 😑of an issue with the alternate and canonical tags. These tags are used to indicate to search engines which version of a page should be considered the original, and which versions are alternate or duplicate

However, if these tags are not implemented correctly, it can cause issues with indexing and ranking in search results. I was also facing the same issue on my website by implementing these things the issue was got resolved It's important to review your website's code and ensure that the alternate and canonical tags are set up correctly to avoid any further issues with Google indexing your pages.

ninja1122
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hi alex892

Did you manage to resolve the issue you were facing? If so, I would greatly appreciate your assistance, as I am encountering the same problem. It can be frustrating when technical difficulties arise, but it's always helpful to have a support system in place to overcome them together.

alex892
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Hi @ninja1122 

no, I didn't solve the issue. The main landing page still has the wrong canonical because I don't have the option to change it from Freshdesk. 

On the google search console I started validating the individual article pages and slowly google is re-indexing them and I am planning to do it like this for all the pages that Google stopped indexing. But the main issue of the landing page remains..

O
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If Google has stopped indexing your pages due to issues with alternate and canonical tags, it's important to address the problem to ensure your pages can be properly indexed and appear in search results. Here are a few steps you can take to resolve the issue:

  1. Verify the implementation of alternate and canonical tags: Review the implementation of alternate and canonical tags on your pages to ensure they are correctly set up. Make sure that the alternate tags point to the corresponding localized versions of the page, and the canonical tags point to the preferred version of the page. Double-check for any errors or inconsistencies in the tag implementation.

  2. Use the rel="canonical" tag correctly: The rel="canonical" tag is used to indicate the preferred version of a page when there are multiple versions with similar content. Ensure that the canonical tag points to the correct URL for each page, and that there are no conflicts or contradictions between the alternate and canonical tags.

  3. Resolve conflicts between alternate and canonical tags: If there are conflicts or inconsistencies between the alternate and canonical tags, it's crucial to address them. Evaluate whether you need to use alternate tags or if canonical tags alone would suffice for your website's structure. Consult the documentation or guidelines provided by Google or reach out to their support for specific recommendations.

  4. Verify correct implementation in the source code: Check the source code of your web pages to ensure that the alternate and canonical tags are present and correctly implemented. Use HTML validation tools or browser developer tools to inspect the code and identify any potential issues or missing tags.

  5. Fetch and render as Google: Use Google Search Console to submit the affected pages for indexing. Utilize the "Fetch as Google" or "URL Inspection" tool to request Google to crawl and index the pages again. This can help trigger the reindexing process and ensure that Google can recognize the correct tags and content on your pages.

  6. Monitor Google Search Console for errors: Regularly check your Google Search Console account for any reported errors or issues related to alternate and canonical tags. This can provide insights into any ongoing problems and allow you to address them promptly.

pelorustech
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I think you can cheak these things again:

  1. Verify  canonical tags
  2. Check for errors
  3. Check Google Search Console
  4. Analyze the relationship between alternate and canonical URLs
  5. Submit updated sitemap
  6. Request reindexing

 

brycejune
Rank
Badge

HIi Alex,

It seems like the issue you are facing with the indexing of your customer portal is due to the wrong canonical URL declared on the main landing page. To fix this issue, you can try the following steps:

  1. Update the canonical URL: As you mentioned, the wrong canonical URL is declared on the main landing page, which is causing indexing issues. You can update the canonical URL to the correct one, which should help Google to index your pages properly.

  2. Submit the sitemap: Ensure that the sitemap for your customer portal is up to date and includes all the URLs that you want to be indexed. You can then submit the sitemap to Google Search Console to help them crawl and index your pages more efficiently.

  3. Check for other technical issues: Sometimes, there may be other technical issues that can impact indexing, such as crawl errors, broken links, or duplicate content. You can use tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush to identify and fix these issues.

  4. Increase content relevance and quality: Google's algorithms prioritize high-quality and relevant content. You may want to review your articles and ensure they are informative and useful to your target audience. You can also optimize your content with relevant keywords to improve their relevance and visibility.

By following these steps, you should be able to fix the indexing issue and improve your portal's search engine visibility.

Regards,

Bryce

 

Hi Alex,

same circumstances happened to one of my client website BBCOR Hitter and i come to know one new term that there is crawling budget set by google for our website and its totally depend on article frequency, means publishing frequency.

Hope so this will also help you!

Regards,

Bryce June 

davidjohnson85
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If Google is not indexing the pages of your customer portal due to issues with the canonical tag, there are a few steps you can take to address the problem:

1. Review Canonical Implementation: Double-check your implementation of the canonical tag on the main landing page and ensure it accurately reflects the page it represents. Make sure there are no mistakes or inconsistencies in the canonical URLs.

2. Verify Proper Canonical Tag Generation: Since you mentioned that you dynamically generate the canonical tags, review the code responsible for generating the canonical URL. Ensure that it is correctly generating the canonical URL for each page and that it matches the page's actual URL.

3. Check Other On-Page Factors: In addition to the canonical tag, review other on-page factors such as meta tags, headers, and content. Make sure they are optimized for SEO and aligned with best practices. Ensure that there are no issues or errors that could prevent proper indexing.

4. Fetch and Render: Use Google Search Console to request a fetch and render of the affected pages. This can help Google re-crawl and re-index the pages, potentially resolving the indexing issue.

5. Monitor Indexing Progress: Keep an eye on the Google Search Console and monitor the indexing progress of your pages. Note any changes or improvements over time and analyze the impact on organic traffic.

6. Seek Expert Advice: If the issue persists or you need further assistance, consider reaching out to SEO professionals or web developers who specialize in technical SEO. They can provide more specific guidance and help resolve any underlying technical issues.

Remember that indexing and SEO-related matters can sometimes take time to resolve, so be patient and continue monitoring the situation.

 

Regards;

David Johnson.

CallumCook
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make sure the canonical URL for your main landing page is correct, submit your sitemap.xml to Google Search Console, use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for specific URLs, monitor crawl errors and indexing status, and seek guidance from Google Support or webmaster forums if needed.

EthinixSalon
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