This page has a canonical tag pointing to a different URL (the homepage). Incorrect canonical tags can cause search engines to index the wrong page or miss content completely. In this specific case, the canonical tag incorrectly directs search engines to treat the homepage (/) as the preferred version of this content, effectively telling them to ignore this unique page. This misapplication of the canonical tag creates a serious technical SEO issue, as it instructs search engines to consolidate all ranking signals from this page to the homepage instead, essentially making this page invisible in search results. When implemented correctly, canonical tags help manage duplicate content, but when used incorrectly, they can inadvertently hide valuable content from search engines.
Incorrect canonical tags are a common SEO issue that web crawlers flag for correction. Technical SEO audits frequently identify this problem because of its significant negative impact on content discoverability and search performance. While canonical tags are designed to help search engines understand your preferred URL structure, improper implementation can cause more harm than good. In this case, the incorrect canonical effectively tells search engines that this page's content is a duplicate of the homepage, which is clearly not accurate since the content is entirely different. Such canonicalization errors often result from template-level mistakes during website development, automated CMS behaviors, or misunderstandings about how canonical tags should be implemented across different types of pages.
Having correct canonical tags on your pages is important because:
Canonical tags serve as explicit directives to search engines about which URL should receive credit when similar or identical content exists at multiple URLs. When implemented correctly, they help consolidate ranking signals, prevent duplicate content issues, and ensure your preferred URLs appear in search results. However, when canonical tags point to incorrect destinations, as on this page, they can severely undermine your SEO efforts by essentially hiding unique content. The search implications are significant—any links, social shares, or other ranking signals this page might acquire will be attributed to the homepage instead, diluting the relevance of those signals. Additionally, users searching for specific information contained only on this page may never find it in search results, as search engines will prioritize indexing and displaying the canonicalized URL (the homepage) instead, which doesn't contain the relevant content they're seeking.
To fix an incorrect canonical tag:
<link rel="canonical" href="wrong-canonical.html" />
For this specific page, the canonical tag should be updated to reference its own URL rather than the homepage. This self-referencing canonical tells search engines that this page's unique content should be indexed and ranked on its own merits. When fixing canonical issues, it's important to use absolute URLs including the protocol and domain (https://example.com/wrong-canonical.html) rather than relative paths to avoid potential parsing problems. Additionally, after making canonical changes, submit the affected URLs for reindexing through Google Search Console to expedite the discovery of your corrected canonical tags. It's also advisable to implement a systematic review of canonical tags across your entire site to identify any other instances of incorrect implementation, as canonical issues often stem from template-level problems that might affect multiple pages. Regular technical SEO audits that specifically check canonical implementation can help prevent these issues from recurring in the future.