Can you use multiple rel alternate tags for different device subdomains?

[AdiRste]

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

[PatrickDelehanty]

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!

[AdiRste]

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.

[Daniel_Morgan]

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.

[KristinaKledzik]

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