Duplicate content and URL structure - How to fix?

Technical Q&A
1

Hi,

We have an issue with URLs and duplicate content on Shopify.

To clarify the issue when we add a product to certain collections, these collections create products and get indexed on Google.

Example:

Original:
https://ayambeautycare.com/products/argan-oil-conditioner

Duplicates:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/all-products/products/argan-oil-conditioner
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/hair-care/products/argan-oil-conditioner
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/shop/products/argan-oil-conditioner

When we check these categories for example:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/body-lotions
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/conditioners
They are not generating duplicate products.

However, this one is:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/shampoos

Duplicate product:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/shampoos/products/caviar-shampoo

Original product:
https://ayambeautycare.com/products/caviar-shampoo

This is causing a duplicate content issue and can get us a Google penalty and we won’t be able to rank.

Is there a way to disable products being indexed to Google multiple times and select a preferred version?

Also, we would like to change the collections to pages, however when we set up redirects nothing is happening.

From:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/face-care
To:
https://ayambeautycare.com/pages/face-care

From:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/hair-care
To:
https://ayambeautycare.com/pages/skin-care

From:
https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/skin-care
To:
https://ayambeautycare.com/pages/hair-care

Best Regards,
Nickey

2

Hello,

  1. https://ayambeautycare.com/products/argan-oil-conditioner
  2. https://ayambeautycare.com/collections/hair-care/products/argan-oil-conditioner

This behavior is “by-design” and you cannot change it.

The best you can do is set the Canonical URL of 2. so that it points to 1.
There’s not way to prevent that Google index both URL, but using Canonical URL you are giving to Google a clear signal that 1. is the preferred version.

Regarding Redirects in Shopify, they works only if the URL that you are trying to redirect doesn’t exists anymore.
You cannot setup a redirect for a collection, a product or a page that is still defined, you need to delete it first.

3

Hi I m facing same problem this is affecting my google ranking also pls provide any solution to resolve it

4

Depending on your theme this is fixable here’s a link to a tutorial I used that worked fine.

https://youtu.be/Rl7TyDZYzP4

Also google fix duplicate content in shopify you will get a full run down