The site has 3 articles that overlap in key queries but are unique. The search engine gets confused on which to display, so it alternates them. Rankings fluctuate.
Can we use the rel= «canonical» tag? How effective would that be?
The rel=«canonical» tag is a powerful tool for managing duplicate content issues on a website. When you have multiple pages with similar or overlapping content, search engines might get confused about which page to rank higher or display in search results. By using the canonical tag, you're essentially telling search engines which version of a page is the "official" one. This can help consolidate the ranking signals and avoid having your pages compete against each other.
However, there are some considerations to keep in mind:
Selection of Canonical Page: You need to carefully choose which page should be the canonical one. It should ideally be the page that you want to rank higher and that has the most comprehensive content.
Implementation: Make sure the canonical tag is correctly implemented in the HTML head section of each page. If it's not done properly, it could lead to more confusion for search engines.
Effectiveness: While the canonical tag helps in guiding search engines, it's not a directive but rather a hint. Search engines may choose to ignore it if they feel another page is more relevant to a user's query.
Content Uniqueness: If the articles are truly unique, consider whether they really need a canonical tag. Sometimes, adjusting the content slightly or targeting different keywords can resolve the issue without needing a canonical tag.
Monitoring: After implementing the canonical tag, keep an eye on your search rankings and traffic. It might take some time for search engines to process the changes, so be patient.
Alternative Solutions: Besides canonical tags, you might also consider other SEO strategies like improving internal linking, refining meta descriptions, or even merging content if appropriate.
While the rel=«canonical» tag can be effective in managing duplicate content and stabilizing rankings, it's essential to use it wisely and in conjunction with other SEO best practices to achieve the best results. If done right, it can certainly help in reducing the fluctuation in rankings and ensuring that the right content is displayed to users.
The smart move here is to merge those articles into a single piece and place it on the URL that ranks highest in search engines. Make sure to eliminate the other URLs from the listings. The fresh, unified article shouldn't just be a patchwork—it needs a full rewrite and must be submitted for re-crawling right away.
For this new, solo article, gather a new cluster of keywords; I'm confident fresh ones will pop up. Consider using the old articles for posting elsewhere, making sure to credit the original author, and maybe even for press releases.
It's important to manage the weight distribution of your pages. You should use the rel="canonical" tag for the main page you want to prioritize. You might link other pages to this canonical one, but it's not always necessary.
However, merging multiple articles into a single page isn't advisable. Doing so will just leave you with one page instead of three, meaning the URLs of the removed pages won't appear in search results anymore. Instead, optimize the pages that are less relevant to the main query for related searches.
Canonical tags themselves don't directly boost rankings but help consolidate duplicate or similar content signals, improving SEO efficiency. By indicating the preferred version of a page, they prevent link equity dilution. This clarity helps search engines rank the right page higher. So while not a direct ranking factor they can support ranking improvements indirectly.