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    #1

    G Search Console > Page Indexing > Error: Alternate page with proper canonical tag

    Google Search Console > Page Indexing > Error: Alternate page with proper canonical tag. This is affecting as significant number of pages.

    Contemplating updating robots.txt file to include the following entries. Would that be a good idea?

    Note: All template pages have the correct canonical code.

    Existing Canonical Code Example:

    Code:
    <head>
...
  <link rel="canonical" href="https://www.[domain_name]/[category or product code].html" itemprop="url">
...
</head>
    Robots.txt Example (Note: We would obviously not include # comments.):

    Code:
    User-agent: *

Disallow: *? #Disallow all URLs which include a question mark (?).
Disallow: *Session_ID #Disallow all URLs which include a Session_ID.
Disallow: *Screen #Disallow all URLs which include a Screen.
Disallow: *Search #Is this a good idea? #Disallow all URLs which include a Search.
Disallow: *CatListingOffset #Disallow all URLs which include a CatListingOffset.
Disallow: *iframe #Disallow all URLs which include a iframe.
Disallow: *AFFIL #Disallow all URLs which include a AFFIL.
Disallow: /mm5/merchant.mvc #Is this a good idea? #Disallow all URLs which include a /mm5/merchant.mvc.

Sitemap: https://www.[domain_name]/sitemap.xml (Note: This master sitemap already includes the two other sitemaps listed below, but search console did not pick it up, so I think it might be a good idea to list those in this file).
Sitemap: https://www.[domain_name]/product_sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://www.[domain_name]/category_sitemap.xml
    How about disallowing a few API (e.g.: ReCAPTCHA, Analytics, etc.)?
    Last edited by William Davis; 09-19-23, 11:43 AM.
    Thank you, Bill Davis
    Tags: None
    #2
    Wow, nobody available? I just want need to make sure this is right before I upload it, that last I need is to create any additional damage.

    Revised Robots.txt Example:


    Code:
    User-agent: *

Allow: /*.html
Allow: /mm5/graphics/
Disallow:
Disallow: /*?            #Block any URL that includes a ? character.
Disallow: /*?*          #Block any URL that includes a ? character.
Disallow: /*-lists.html
Disallow: /*-contact-us.html
Disallow: /*-faqs.html
Disallow: /*-order-history.html
Disallow: /*-lists.html #Idea for people to search for gifts.
Disallow: /*-site-map.html
Disallow: /*-privacy-policy.html
Disallow: /*-shipping-and-return-policy.html
Disallow: /*-forgot-password.html
Disallow: /*-customer-log-in.html
Disallow: /*-shopping-cart.html
Disallow: /*-checkout.html

User-agent: Baiduspider
Disallow: /

User-agent: ShopWiki
Disallow: /

User-agent: Yandex
Disallow: /

Sitemap: https://www.[...].com/sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://www.[...].com/product_sitemap.xml
Sitemap: https://www.[...].com/category_sitemap.xml
    Thank you, Bill Davis

    Comment

      #3
      These types of questions are probably best handled by a web developer who does SEO work regularly, with real world experience. That is not me, but conceptually I don't think it sounds like a good idea to try to accomplish this with robots.txt where you hope a non-standard attempt at query string exclusion actually works in the engines you want it to work on.

      The desirable way of handling this would be incorporating canonical link tags into the page content, instructing search engines to only index the appropriate access URI for a given page, not any number of variations they may have stumbled through with query strings on them. That is standardized and should work reliably as they validate existing indexed content and adjust. Some themes already have this feature built in, so using a modern theme like Shadows should solve this issue. You can see how it does this at:

      https://github.com/mivaecommerce/sha...head.mvt#L1-L7
      David Hubbard
      CIO
      Miva
      [email protected]
      http://www.miva.com

      Comment

        #4
        Originally posted by ILoveHostasaurus View Post
        These types of questions are probably best handled by a web developer who does SEO work regularly, with real world experience. That is not me, but conceptually I don't think it sounds like a good idea to try to accomplish this with robots.txt where you hope a non-standard attempt at query string exclusion actually works in the engines you want it to work on.

        The desirable way of handling this would be incorporating canonical link tags into the page content, instructing search engines to only index the appropriate access URI for a given page, not any number of variations they may have stumbled through with query strings on them. That is standardized and should work reliably as they validate existing indexed content and adjust. Some themes already have this feature built in, so using a modern theme like Shadows should solve this issue. You can see how it does this at:

        https://github.com/mivaecommerce/sha...head.mvt#L1-L7
        Or at least understand how Miva works. I have dealt with numerous SEO "experts" who have no clue how Miva works so the first suggestion they give a store owner is to switch platforms.
        Leslie Kirk
        Miva Certified Developer
        Miva Merchant Specialist since 1997
        Previously of Webs Your Way         (aka Leslie Nord leslienord)
        Email me: [email protected]
        www.lesliekirk.com

        Follow me: Twitter | Facebook | FourSquare | Pinterest | Flickr

        Comment

          #5
          Leslie Working with SEO should not depend on the software. When analyzing SEO you just need to look at the frontend of the site and possibly the server but it should never be dependent on the software. I would be curious to know why these SEO "experts" are suggesting to switch platforms? Is it because they don't know where to edit the code? I feel like that is not an SEO "expert" job and should be done by a developer.

          As far as the original topic I was able to get some more information from Google support:

          Google Search Console > Page Indexing > Error: Alternate page with proper canonical tag. This is affecting as significant number of pages.

          Here is an article from Google saying that those are not issues that need to be fixed: https://support.google.com/webmaster..._canonical_tag

          "This page correctly points to the canonical page, which is indexed, so there is nothing you need to do"
          Nicholas Adkins
          Technical Training Specialist / Miva, Inc.
          [email protected]
          https://www.miva.com/mivalearn

          Comment

            #6
            ILoveHostasaurus, lesliekirk and Nick, I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable assistance with my recent issue. It's been quite a journey, and I regret to admit that I haven't been able to keep up with On-Page SEO over the last couple of years.

            While it's true that none of us may be considered experts in this particular field, I've had the privilege of working alongside most of you for nearly twenty-five years. In particular, I'd like to extend my gratitude to Nick, David, Leslie, and countless others, especially those who are no longer with us (The great one, "Old Man" Bill Weiland), with whom I've shared countless interactions and experiences. Throughout our time together, I've come to hold the highest regard and admiration for your level of professionalism, knowledge, experience, unwavering work ethic and sound judgement.

            This isn't just a testament to your individual qualities but also a testament to the management's ability to attract such an extraordinary group of people with a great product and service. Your collective contributions have transformed Miva and this forum into an invaluable resource for individuals like me who rely on your guidance and expertise.

            On behalf of my family and myself, I want to extend heartfelt thanks for your unselfish assistance over the years. Your willingness to share your wisdom and help others navigate the complexities of the tech world is truly commendable, and it has made a significant impact on my life. I look forward to continuing our journey together on this forum and, hopefully, to reciprocate the kindness you've shown me.

            No, this is not a farewell message; it's just something I haven't expressed in quite a while, should I be unexpectedly called to serve a higher purpose. :)
            Thank you, Bill Davis
            • 3 likes

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by William Davis View Post
              ILoveHostasaurus, lesliekirk and Nick, I wanted to express my heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for your invaluable assistance with my recent issue. It's been quite a journey, and I regret to admit that I haven't been able to keep up with On-Page SEO over the last couple of years.

              While it's true that none of us may be considered experts in this particular field, I've had the privilege of working alongside most of you for nearly twenty-five years. In particular, I'd like to extend my gratitude to Nick, David, Leslie, and countless others, especially those who are no longer with us (The great one, "Old Man" Bill Weiland), with whom I've shared countless interactions and experiences. Throughout our time together, I've come to hold the highest regard and admiration for your level of professionalism, knowledge, experience, unwavering work ethic and sound judgement.

              This isn't just a testament to your individual qualities but also a testament to the management's ability to attract such an extraordinary group of people with a great product and service. Your collective contributions have transformed Miva and this forum into an invaluable resource for individuals like me who rely on your guidance and expertise.

              On behalf of my family and myself, I want to extend heartfelt thanks for your unselfish assistance over the years. Your willingness to share your wisdom and help others navigate the complexities of the tech world is truly commendable, and it has made a significant impact on my life. I look forward to continuing our journey together on this forum and, hopefully, to reciprocate the kindness you've shown me.

              No, this is not a farewell message; it's just something I haven't expressed in quite a while, should I be unexpectedly called to serve a higher purpose. :)
              Thank you for your kind words! You are always quite welcome! It has been quite the journey over these past 25 years.
              Leslie Kirk
              Miva Certified Developer
              Miva Merchant Specialist since 1997
              Previously of Webs Your Way               (aka Leslie Nord leslienord)
              Email me: [email protected]
              www.lesliekirk.com

              Follow me: Twitter | Facebook | FourSquare | Pinterest | Flickr

              Comment

                #8
                The forums were a huge help to me when I was just getting started working with Miva, after the dot-com recession killed off my old business. Now I try to pay it back -- or "pay it forward."
                Kent Multer
                Magic Metal Productions
                http://TheMagicM.com
                * Web developer/designer
                * E-commerce and Miva
                * Author, The Official Miva Web Scripting Book -- available on-line:
                http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/IS...icmetalproducA

                Comment

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