How Can I influence the Google Selected Canonical

[Spaziohouston]

Our company recently rebranded and launched a new website. The website was developed by an overseas team and they created the test site on their subdomain. The only problem is that Google crawled and indexed their site and ours. I noticed Google indexed their sub domain ahead of our domain and based on Search Console it has deemed our content as the duplicate of theirs and the Google selected theirs as the canonical.
The website in question is https://www.spaziointerni.us
What would be the best course of action to get our content ranked and selected instead of being marked as the duplicate?
Not sure if I have to modify the content to make it more unique or have them submit a removal in their search console.
Our indexed pages continue to go down due to this issue.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Suvidit-Academy]

@Spaziohouston All the Best....

[Spaziohouston]

@Suvidit-Academy Thank you for your response. They did remove the test site and while they still show up in Google, the pages lead to a dead url which hopefully Google doesn't like at some point and removes them.
I did not think of having them add a search console account for the subdomain. That's a great idea to have them submit a removal request.
Our pages have finally surpassed theirs but the indexing of our site is slow and only 2 pages rank higher than theirs.

Patience is key I guess

[StaceyWoensdregt]

A clear answer here: the content has been cannabalised. Duplicate content can't be tweaked for Google ranking improvements. Now it's a case of removing the new website and editing your existing one. I suggest you start again because even making edits on your old website will still be a long slog after negative ranking impacts.

[Moodesburn1991]

How Can I influence the Google Selected Canonical
To influence the Google selected canonical tag, you need to follow certain best practices. Here are a few suggestions:

Implement rel="canonical" tag: Include the rel="canonical" tag in the HTML header of the duplicate content pages. This tag indicates the preferred version of the page that you want Google to index.

Ensure the canonical URL matches the preferred version: Make sure that the canonical URL specified in the tag matches the URL of the preferred version of the page. This should be a single, unique URL.

Redirect duplicate versions: If you have multiple versions of a page (e.g., HTTP and HTTPS, with or without www), set up proper redirects to the preferred version. This helps consolidate ranking signals and avoid confusion.

Consolidate internal linking: Ensure that internal links on your website point to the preferred version of the page. This helps reinforce the canonical signal.

Use the rel="alternate" hreflang attribute: If you have duplicate content across different language or regional variations, use the rel="alternate" hreflang attribute to indicate the relationship between the pages. This helps Google understand the language and geographic targeting of each version.

Monitor and resolve issues promptly: Regularly check Google Search Console for any issues related to canonical tags and duplicate content. Address them promptly to maintain control over the selected canonical.

While these practices can influence the Google selected canonical tag, it's important to note that Google ultimately has the final say in determining the canonical version of a page. Following these guidelines will help improve your chances of influencing Google's decision and ensuring the correct version of your page is ranked.

[Suvidit-Academy]

This is a common problem, and there are a few things you can do to fix it.

• Contact the overseas team and ask them to take down their test site. If they are still using the test site ask them to block the access to google and other search engine or you can ask them to use it as a password protected site.

• Ask them to create a search console account for the subdomain and the put the request of removal of all the indexed pages on google.

• Implement canonical tags on your website. This will tell Google which URL is the preferred version of each page.

Be patient, it will take some time.

Warm Regards
Rahul Gupta
Suvidit Academy

[educationedge012]

You cannot directly influence Google's selected canonical tag. Google's algorithm determines the canonical tag based on various factors, including the content of the pages and the structure of your website. To help guide Google's selection, you can use proper canonical tags on your pages and ensure that your website's internal linking is clear and well-organized. However, Google ultimately makes the final decision based on its understanding of your website and its content.

[Amritweb]

Influencing the Google selected canonical URL is crucial for proper SEO. Ensure your preferred URL structure, optimize content, and use rel="canonical" tags correctly. Monitor Google Search Console for changes and fix duplicate content issues promptly. Consistency and best practices lead the way!

[talentwide]

Influence over Google's selected canonical tag is limited, as Google typically chooses the canonical URL that it believes best represents the preferred version of a webpage. However, there are several best practices you can follow to guide Google's selection:
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Use a Self-Referencing Canonical Tag: Always include a canonical tag in your HTML that points to the URL you want to be considered the canonical version. This helps clarify your preference to Google.
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Ensure Consistency: Make sure that all versions of your page (e.g., www vs. non-www, HTTP vs. HTTPS) are consistent and use the same canonical tag. This reduces confusion for search engines.

Avoid Duplicate Content: Minimize duplicate content issues by ensuring that each page on your website has a unique purpose and content. Google is more likely to choose the correct canonical URL when pages are distinct.
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Proper Redirects: If you've made changes to your website's URL structure, use 301 redirects to point old URLs to the new canonical versions. This helps Google update its index correctly.
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XML Sitemap: Include the canonical version of your URLs in your XML sitemap. This can help Google discover and prioritize the right canonical URLs.
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Hreflang Annotations: If you have internationalized content, use hreflang annotations to specify the canonical URL for each language or region. This can help Google understand which version should be displayed in different locations.

Content Quality and User Experience: Ensure that the canonical URL provides the best user experience and contains high-quality, relevant content. Google is more likely to choose a page that offers better value to users.
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Monitor Google Search Console: Regularly check Google Search Console for any issues related to canonicalization. It can provide insights into how Google is interpreting your canonical tags and whether there are any problems.

Consistent Internal Linking: Ensure that internal links within your website consistently point to the canonical URL for each page. This reinforces your preference.

Follow Google's Guidelines: Keep up with Google's official guidelines and recommendations regarding canonicalization. Google may update its algorithms and recommendations over time.

Remember that while you can influence Google's choice of canonical URL to some extent, Google's primary goal is to provide the best user experience and serve the most relevant content in search results. Therefore, it's essential to focus on delivering valuable content and maintaining a clean website structure to enhance your chances of having the desired canonical URL selected by Google.

[skchad13j]

You cannot directly influence the Google-selected canonical URL. Google's algorithm determines the canonical URL based on various factors, including website structure, content, and user signals. To ensure Google selects the desired canonical URL for your web page, you can implement best SEO practices, maintain proper internal linking, and use canonical tags where appropriate. However, ultimately, Google's algorithms will make the final decision on the canonical URL based on its assessment of the page's content and user experience.

[Spaziohouston]

@Spaziohouston
I can provide screenshots of webmaster tools if needed. Hopefully someone has had or seen this problem before. Really just trying to ensure we are ranking at the top for our own brand name.