Why do some pages appear twice on Google?
Identify the causes of duplication
Key points • Understanding URL duplication • Identifying the most common technical sources • Preventing SEO impacts on a hotel website • Implementing best indexing practices
When certain pages of your hotel website appear twice in Google search results, it's most often due to multiple access points to the same resource. Google then considers several URLs as distinct, even if they point to the same content. This phenomenon is common on content-rich websites like those of hotels, with pages for rooms, offers, restaurants, experiences, or local guides.
These duplications can harm your establishment's overall SEO by spreading value across multiple URLs, reducing the relevance of the main page, and introducing duplicates into the index.
The most common reasons for duplicate pages
Several technical causes can explain the appearance of identical pages under two URLs.
HTTP and HTTPS variants
If your site is accessible via both http:// and https://, Google can index both versions.
💡 Ensure that only one version is active, usually using HTTPS.
WWW and non-WWW
Google treats http://www.votre-hotel.com and http://votre-hotel.com as two separate sites.
💡 Configure your global redirects correctly.
URL parameters
Some marketing tools or scripts add parameters like ?ref, ?utm, ?tracking, generating indexable variants.
💡 Block or canonicalize these settings to prevent duplication.
Pages accessible via multiple paths
In some cases, the same page is accessible via two different navigation structures, resulting in natural duplication.
💡 A unique slug and a well-defined architecture avoid this problem.
Content almost identical
If two pages have very similar content (e.g., two similar offers, two almost identical room pages), Google may perceive them as duplicates.
💡 Add differentiating elements and unique content.
The impacts on your hotel's site
Duplication has several consequences: • decreased visibility of your key pages • dilution of PageRank • difficulty for Google to identify the main page • cannibalization between similar URLs • loss of SEO consistency for rooms, offers, or service pages
For hotels, where every page plays a role in the customer journey, these issues can decrease your direct booking performance.
How to fix duplicates
Implement 301 redirects
Unused variants (HTTP, www, old URLs) must redirect to the canonical URL.
Define a clear canonicalization
On each page, define a canonical URL that tells Google which is the main version.
💡 Ideal for seasonal offers, room listings or nearby items.
Clean up URL parameters
UTM, filters, sessions: they must be deindexed or canonicalized to avoid duplicates.
Check internal navigation
Ensure that the site's hierarchy never leads to two different URLs for the same page.
💡 Complex hotel menus can sometimes create unintentional multiple paths.
Preventing duplication over time
For a hotel website, regular maintenance is essential: • monitor indexing via Search Console • check new pages after each update • harmonize your slugs and structure • maintain a stable and readable URL structure
Continuous attention helps Google understand your site, better rank your pages, and boost the performance of your direct traffic.
Conclusion
Seeing certain pages appear twice on Google is a clear sign of duplicate URLs or content on your hotel website. By understanding the causes and implementing simple solutions like redirects, canonical tags, and proper parameter management, you strengthen your SEO and offer a more consistent structure for both search engines and your visitors.