Google Search Console is a powerful tool for identifying and resolving SEO issues on your website. By regularly monitoring your Search Console reports, you can quickly identify and fix problems that may be hindering your site’s performance in search results. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most common SEO errors in Google Search Console and provide solutions for resolving them.
Not Found (404) Errors
Issue: This error indicates that the server cannot find the requested page, which can lead to a poor user experience and negatively impact SEO.
Solution:
- Identify the 404 pages: In Google Search Console, navigate to the Coverage report and look for URLs marked as “Not Found.”
- Redirect or fix the URL: If the page has been moved, set up a 301 redirect to the new URL. If the page should not exist, consider creating a custom 404 page that guides users back to relevant content.
Page with Redirect
Issue: This error occurs when a page is redirected to another URL, which can create confusion for both users and search engines.
Solution:
- Check the redirect: Ensure that the redirect is intentional and leads to a relevant page. If the redirect is unnecessary, consider removing it.
- Use the URL Inspection tool: Validate the redirect in Google Search Console to confirm it is functioning correctly.
Click on following link to see Google Search Console Error Codes: The Complete List & How to Fix
Duplicate, Google Chose Different Canonical than User
Issue: This error indicates that Google has selected a different canonical URL than the one specified by the user, which can lead to indexing issues.
Solution:
- Review canonical tags: Ensure that the canonical tag on the page points to the correct URL you want indexed.
- Check for duplicate content: If the content is duplicated across multiple pages, consolidate it or use canonical tags appropriately.
Click on following link to see more detail, Using Google Search Console to Resolve SEO Issues
Crawled but Currently Not Indexed
Issue: This error means that Google has crawled the page but has not indexed it, which can affect visibility in search results.
Solution:
- Improve content quality: Ensure that the content is unique, valuable, and relevant to users’ search queries.
- Request indexing: Use the URL Inspection tool to request indexing for the page.
Excluded by ‘noindex’ Tag
Issue: Pages marked with a ‘noindex’ tag will not appear in search results, which can be problematic if you want them indexed.
Solution:
- Review the noindex tag: Check if the noindex tag is necessary for the page. If you want the page indexed, remove the tag and resubmit the URL for indexing.
Duplicate without User-Selected Canonical
Issue: This error indicates that there are duplicate pages on your site that lack a clear canonical URL.
Solution:
- Set canonical tags: Identify the preferred version of the duplicate content and set a canonical tag on all duplicate pages pointing to the preferred version.
- Consolidate content: If possible, merge duplicate content into a single page to improve SEO.
Alternate Page with Proper Canonical Tag
Issue: This error appears when Google detects an alternate version of a page that has a canonical tag pointing to the correct version.
Solution:
- Verify the canonical tag: Ensure that the canonical tag is correctly set and points to the desired version of the page.
- Consider indexing: If you want the alternate page indexed, remove the canonical tag and request indexing.
Conclusion
Want to make sure everything is configured correctly or need assistance? Get in touch with our team of professionals right now, and we’ll ensure that Google Webmaster Tool is configured correctly and that all console issues are fixed.
