How to Ensure Correct Cross-Domain URL Selection

URL’s from different domains can lead to the same content. When the same content is available on a number of URLs, the content is known as duplicate content. When Google identifies duplicate content on a group of pages, its algorithm selects one representative URL for that content. The group of pages exhibiting the same content may contain URLs from the same site or different sites. Google may select the representative URL from a group with different sites. This selection is termed as cross-domain URL selection.

For example, if the group of URLs is comprised of one URL from each of the following: a.com, b.com and c.com, and Google’s algorithm selects URL from b.com as the representative URL. The URLs from a.com and c.com will no longer be included in the search results, and they will witness a drop in search-referred traffic. Webmasters can influence Google’s URL selection algorithm, by indicating the preferred URL using different mechanisms.

Google plans to launch new Webmaster Tool messages, to notify webmasters when its algorithm chooses an external URL instead of a URL from their website. This move is being considered to add transparency to the process of cross-domain selection.

The common causes which lead to cross-domain selection are:

• Duplicate content, 
• Configuration mistakes 
• Malicious website attacks. 

Let us look at each one of these causes briefly. It is commonly observed that webmasters use the same content in the same language on multiple domains.

They post the same content on the websites such as a.com and a.net. In such cases, Google offers canonicalization techniques to signal its algorithm which URL you wish to select.

Certain configuration errors can misguide Google’s algorithm. Incorrect use of canonicalization techniques pointing to URLs on an external website can lead to incorrect URL selections. To mend this error, you should first try and figure out how your website is incorrectly indicating the canonical URL preference and then fix it.

Sometimes, malicious attacks on websites introduce codes which lead to undesired canonicalization. Malicious codes guide Google’s algorithm to external URLs hosting malicious content. In order to get rid of spam attacks, Google provides tips on cleaning your website. Once you have cleaned your website, you can submit a reconsideration request to Google for URL selection.

There are rare chances that Google’s algorithm will select a cross-domain from an external site which is using your website’s content violating the copyright law. However, if you find any such incorrect instances, you can request Google to remove that page from its search results. Google has a highly advanced algorithm to select cross-domain URLs so there are rare chances the decisions will be incorrect. All you need to do is, be precise with your canonical URL preference and pay heed to malicious attacks.

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