Can you use multiple rel alternate tags for different device subdomains?
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When redirecting from desktop to mobile with a separate URL structure, you need to have a rel alternate - rel canonical handshake to define the relationship between the pages. But if you have a different subdomain for different mobile devices, can you add more than one rel alternate tag on the desktop page?
EG if site.com is redirecting to iphone.site.com, m.site.com, android.site.com
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Hey Massimliano,
I responded to you over here too, but basically: Googlebot's user agent declares itself to be an iPhone, so I'd rel="alternate" over to your iphone.site.com version. Rel="alternate" is supposed to redirect based on the width of the screen, not the device type, so I don't know how you'd differentiate between your multiple rel="alternate"s otherwise.
I've never heard of anyone using this set up before, so let us know how it goes!
Kristina
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I would just select one mobile subdomain to act as your canonical. Then at a later stage you can begin redirecting the other mobile versions to this one canonical version.
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Hi Patrick, thanks for the response.
It is a legacy architecture that's in place, this would be a temporary situation while the new mobile solution is being built.
I was just wondering about the possibility of defining more than one rel alternate, I've never seen anyone do it (because why would you :P) but in the interest of mad science, would the relationship work between a canonical on each mobile subdomain pointing to multile rel alternate tags on desktop.
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Hi there
You shouldn't have to redirect for different mobile sites depending on device. Is there a reason you are doing so? I would focus on one mobile site, properly implement tags, and go from there.
Let me know - good luck!
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