Within the newest Search Off the File podcast, Lizzi Sassman of Google requested Gary Illyes of Google about utilizing a noindex on worldwide URLs in an hreflang set. Gary mentioned it could possibly doubtlessly result in the entire cluster being noindexed.

This got here up on the 13:34 mark within the podcast, the place Lizzi requested “What would occur for those who’ve obtained different languages? Such as you’ve obtained the noindex on one language, would we then do one thing in regards to the different languages? Like, if, I assume, you set it because the rel=canonical, then?

Gary Illyes responded “so it will depend on how the setup is as a result of it could possibly occur that you simply, for
instance, if we’ve some kind of duplication throughout languages and Google detects that as a duplication then it would imply that one noindex can have an effect on the entire cluster. But it surely’s onerous to set off it, however nonetheless, you’ll be able to.

Lizzi adopted up by asking “OK, so, it is one thing that would occur. However I am questioning, is it secure to depend on that? Or you need to put it on each language web page, simply to make certain for those who needed it for certain noindex is eliminated? You have to be serious about all of the issues. Or are you able to simply add it to the canonical web page after which we are going to know to do away with it? Like from simply an effectivity perspective, I assume. Like, I do not need this web page, so I subsequently additionally would not need the opposite pages that I’ve linked up.”

Gary responded “You in all probability need to add it to each web page that you simply need to take away. I believe
our setup is extra particular, as a result of we do use hreflang. So, we’re instructing–not instructing, however hinting to indexing that these are clusters of pages, after which they may affect one another.”

Glenn Gabe summed it up properly in these tweets:

From the SOTR podcast about removals w/@okaylizzi, @johnmu, & methode: When utilizing hreflang & you noindex one of many urls within the cluster, that *may* impression the whole cluster in some circumstances. To be secure, make sure that so as to add noindex to all pages within the cluster: https://t.co/rH7tbXOsR0 pic.twitter.com/dfP5IeBh3m

— Glenn Gabe (@glenngabe) August 5, 2022

Right here is the embed in the beginning time: