Google Clarifies Simultaneous Use of Canonical & Noindex

Introduction

In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), the interaction between a website’s code and how it appears in search results is critical. One such area that has caused confusion for years is whether it’s appropriate to use a noindex rule alongside a rel=canonical tag on the same page. Google has finally provided a more definitive answer to this long-debated question.

It is essential to grasp how the noindex and rel=canonical tags work. The noindex rule is a directive that tells Google not to index a page, meaning it should not appear in search results. In contrast, the rel=canonical tag is a strong signal that suggests which URL should be treated as the canonical version of a page.

According to Google’s official documentation rel=canonical link annotations: A strong signal that the specified URL should become canonical. This setup implies that while Google must obey the noindex rule, the rel=canonical tag serves as a recommendation that Google may choose to follow or ignore.

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Why Google May or May Not Pick Up the Canonical Signal

In response to the Reddit query, Mueller explained why Google might or might not pick up the canonical signal when a noindex tag is present. The reason lies in Google’s crawling and indexing process. When Googlebot encounters a noindex rule, it still fetches the page and may use the data for certain purposes, such as link graph calculation. However, the page itself will not be included in the search index.

This technical nuance was further clarified in a tweet by Gary Illyes, another Google employee, who explained that while a noindexed page will not appear in search results, Google may still consider the links on that page for its link graph calculation.

What This Means for SEO Practitioners

For SEO professionals, the key takeaway is to avoid trying to combine noindex and rel=canonical tags. Instead, focus on a clear and straightforward SEO strategy. If your goal is to keep a page out of Google’s index, use the noindex tag and do not rely on the canonical tag to forward link signals. Alternatively, if you want to consolidate the signals from multiple pages into a single canonical page, avoid using the noindex tag altogether.

Rather than over-focusing on individual elements like links or canonical tags, SEO success often depends on the overall structure of the website and its ability to provide a good user experience.

Conclusion

Google’s recent clarification on the use of noindex and canonical tags resolves a longstanding debate in the SEO community. While it may have once seemed compatible to use both tags together, the recommendation now is to choose one strategy for each page. Trying to combine these signals can lead to unpredictable results, and it is always better to aim for clear, decisive actions in SEO.

By understanding how these tags work and implementing them correctly, website owners and SEO professionals can ensure their pages are crawled and indexed or not indexed according to their preferences. A well-structured website and clear SEO strategy will ultimately lead to better search rankings and improved visibility in Google search results.