This inconsistency can have a huge impact on search rankings, user experience, and the overall SEO health of your website.
Canonicalization is an important aspect of search engine optimization, designating a preferred version of a webpage when duplicate content exists. It's like pointing to a definitive source and telling search engines "This is the primary version, please prefer it." However, if Google determines a canonical version that differs from the user or webmaster's intent, it can lead to confusion, suboptimal rankings, and a less-than-ideal user experience.
Normalization issues often arise for a variety of reasons.
Inconsistent implementation : Canonical tags may not be applied consistently across different versions of a page, which can create ambiguity for search engines.
Dynamic content : Websites with dynamic content generation capabilities may inadvertently generate multiple versions of a page, each with its own unique URL, complicating canonicalization.
URL parameters : Parameters in a URL can create multiple variations of a page and, if not handled correctly, can prevent search engines from identifying the canonical version.
User-Generated Content : Platforms that feature user-generated content can face challenges with canonicalization, especially when users create duplicate or similar content.