GA4 showing 2 versions of my homepage

[CustomMadeCasino]

When my website Custom Made Casino switched from universal analytics to GA, i have noticed that now in the behavior section it is showing 2 versions of my homepage which I feel may be impacting seo.

It is showing the main url which we use for everything, https://custommadecasino.com/ , and it is showing https://custommadecasino.com/index.php?route-common/home. This was never the case with universal.

Does anyone know if this is a problem and if so, how do i fix it so that our proper homepage is what is indexed?

[marcoperson]

@CustomMadeCasino
I think It is due to tracking code

[hassaansid18]

Certainly! To address the issue of GA4 showing two versions of your homepage, you can follow these steps:

Check for Duplicate Tags:
First, ensure that you haven't added the Google Analytics 4 tracking code twice on your homepage. Duplicate tracking codes can lead to multiple pageviews being recorded.

Debug Your Tracking Code:
Use the Google Analytics Debugger tool or browser extensions like Google Tag Assistant to check if the tracking code is firing correctly. This will help you identify any issues with how the code is implemented.

Examine Page URLs:
GA4 may treat slight variations in URLs as separate pages. Check if there are any URL parameters or case differences in your homepage URLs that could be causing this.

URL Parameters:
If you're using URL parameters for tracking purposes, make sure they are correctly configured in your GA4 settings. GA4 allows you to exclude specific parameters to prevent duplicate tracking.

Canonical Tags:
Ensure that your homepage has a canonical tag specifying the preferred version of the page. This can help GA4 consolidate tracking data for similar pages.

Filters and Views:
In your GA4 property settings, review any filters or views that might be affecting how data is collected. Make sure you don't have any filters that could be causing duplication.

Content Grouping:
If you're using content grouping in GA4, verify that your homepage is assigned to the correct group. Incorrect grouping can lead to multiple entries.

Pageview Triggers:
If you're using Google Tag Manager (GTM), check your triggers to ensure they are set up correctly. Incorrect triggers can cause additional pageviews.

Events or Virtual Pageviews:
Review any events or virtual pageviews that might be triggering on your homepage. Ensure they are configured as intended.

Custom Dimensions and Metrics:
Check if any custom dimensions or metrics are affecting your homepage tracking. Verify that they are configured correctly.

Data Stream Configuration:
In your GA4 data stream settings, confirm that the correct domain and subdomain are specified for your website.

Real-Time Reports:
Use the Real-Time reports in GA4 to see if both versions of your homepage are actively being tracked. This can help you identify when and how the duplication occurs.

By systematically going through these steps, you should be able to pinpoint the cause of the duplicate tracking and take appropriate action to resolve it in your Google Analytics 4 setup.

[CustomMadeCasino]

@stefangatti Hi Stefan,

Appreciate your response on this. I will definitely go through this. The staging site was not supposed to be indexed so I will definitely review this and make sure this is not indexed. Thanks for your input, very helpful!

• Adam

[stefangatti]

Hey @CustomMadeCasino,

I shouldn't think this is anything to do with your analytics set-up, but it certainly isn't ideal for SEO. In an ideal world you'd set up a permanent redirect from the non-standard homepage URL to the correct version. You could also add a canonical tag but a permanent redirect is the preferred method.

If you can edit the .htaccess file of your website you can even add a redirect rule using RegEx to catch any URLs, more info here: https://www.semrush.com/blog/301-redirect-htaccess/

On a related note, If you enter this into Google "site:https://custommadecasino.com" you'll see that your staging subdomain is also indexed (https://staging.custommadecasino.com/)

It looks to me like it would be worthwhile conducting a basic technical SEO audit on your website. Have you got Google Search Console set up with this domain? If so, the Indexing > Pages report can help you find issues. If not, I'd recommend doing it ASAP!

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Stefan