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SEO finding

A mobile, AMP, print or session version of a page is not tied to the main page

SEO Warning Severity: Medium

Part of the audit Several URLs each claim to be the page. Finding id: seo.variantPagesUnpaired.

What it costs you

Search engines index the variant as a page of its own. It competes with the main page, and visitors can land on a print layout or on a URL that carries someone's session.

What to do

Set the canonical tag of the variant to the main page. Keep session ids out of URLs.

What it checks

  • Mobile version not linked to main page
  • Print or session versions can be indexed

How to fix it

Tie the variant to the main page

  1. On [variant url], set the canonical tag to the main page.
  2. For a mobile or AMP version, keep the link from the main page to the variant, so the two point at each other.
  3. For print versions, a print stylesheet on the main URL avoids the second URL altogether.
  4. For session ids, store the session in a cookie and stop adding it to links.

How to check: Fetch [variant url] and confirm the canonical tag names the main page; run this rule again.

How to verify by hand

Search Console impressions split across the variants.

What this relies on

The variant with the most internal links is the intended one.