Fix duplicate pages, titles and canonicals

Why it matters

When several pages look almost the same, search engines keep one and skip the rest. This happens with copied descriptions, product variants, printer versions, tracking parameters and pages that differ only by a city name.

Canonical tags tell search engines which version is the main one, but search engines treat them as a hint and may choose differently. To fix duplicates for good, make the pages different or merge them.

Before you start

Your report's duplicate and canonical findings
Access to edit page titles, content or templates

Step by step

1
Make each page different
Rewrite copied text so every page is useful on its own.
2
Give every page its own title
Name the thing and the place, like "Plumber in Cary, NC".
3
Point the canonical to itself
Each page's canonical tag should be its own address.
4
List only main pages
Keep copies and redirects out of the sitemap.

If something goes wrong

Google picked a different canonical than mine: Google thinks the pages are duplicates. Make the content more distinct, or point both to the version you prefer and link to it internally.
Every page has the same title: Build titles from the page's own details: the thing and the place, such as "Water Heater Repair in Cary, NC".
Parameters create copies: Point the canonical tag of each variant to the clean address, and list only clean addresses in the sitemap.