The Moz Q&A Forum

    • Forum
    • Questions
    • My Q&A
    • Users
    • Ask the Community

    Welcome to the Q&A Forum

    Browse the forum for helpful insights and fresh discussions about all things SEO.

    1. SEO and Digital Marketing Q&A Forum
    2. Categories
    3. Web Design
    4. Are slimmed down mobile versions of a canonical page considered cloaking?

    Are slimmed down mobile versions of a canonical page considered cloaking?

    Web Design
    4 3 1.0k
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as question
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • TahoeMountain40
      TahoeMountain40 last edited by

      We are developing our mobile site right now and we are using a user agent sniffer to figure out what kind of device the visitor is using. Once the server knows whether it is a desktop or mobile browser it will deliver the appropriate template. We decided to use the same URL for both versions of the page rather than using m.websiteurl.com or www.websiteurl.mobi so that traffic to either version of these pages would register as a visit to the page.

      Will search engines consider this cloaking or is mobile "versioning" an acceptable practice? The pages in essence are the same, the mobile version will just leave out extraneous scripts and unnecessary resources to better display on a mobile device.

      1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • Goetzman
        Goetzman last edited by

        Google has a completely different robot for searching mobile pages

        TahoeMountain40 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • TahoeMountain40
          TahoeMountain40 @Goetzman last edited by

          Thanks Korgo, that is good to know. The question still remains though: If both versions of the page have the same URL and canonical tag, is it cloaking?

          1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
          • RyanOD
            RyanOD last edited by

            I think you'll find this post on the Official Google Webmaster Central Blog valuable.

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
            • 1 / 1
            • First post
              Last post
            • When rel canonical tag used, which page does Google considers for ranking and indexing? A/B test scenario!
              0
              1
              45

            • We're considering making notable changes to our website's navigation. Other than 301 redirects from old pages to new, what do I need to consider with this type of move or update?
              CleverPhD
              CleverPhD
              0
              2
              133

            • Going mobile: Responsive or different mobile version?
              Leonie-Kramer
              Leonie-Kramer
              0
              4
              114

            • Our on page blog is off page! What?
              Mike.NW
              Mike.NW
              0
              2
              115

            • How to check if a web page is a dynamic web page? How to check one if it is a static web page?
              esiow2013
              esiow2013
              1
              5
              5.6k

            • Is it cloaking/hiding text if textual content is no longer accessible for mobile visitors on responsive webpages?
              BlueprintMarketing
              BlueprintMarketing
              0
              3
              488

            • Local Versions of Pages
              MiriamEllis
              MiriamEllis
              0
              6
              201

            • Mobile Site Pages: Word Count Help
              EricaMcGillivray
              EricaMcGillivray
              0
              2
              734

            Get started with Moz Pro!

            Unlock the power of advanced SEO tools and data-driven insights.

            Start my free trial
            Products
            • Moz Pro
            • Moz Local
            • Moz API
            • Moz Data
            • STAT
            • Product Updates
            Moz Solutions
            • SMB Solutions
            • Agency Solutions
            • Enterprise Solutions
            • Digital Marketers
            Free SEO Tools
            • Domain Authority Checker
            • Link Explorer
            • Keyword Explorer
            • Competitive Research
            • Brand Authority Checker
            • Local Citation Checker
            • MozBar Extension
            • MozCast
            Resources
            • Blog
            • SEO Learning Center
            • Help Hub
            • Beginner's Guide to SEO
            • How-to Guides
            • Moz Academy
            • API Docs
            About Moz
            • About
            • Team
            • Careers
            • Contact
            Why Moz
            • Case Studies
            • Testimonials
            Get Involved
            • Become an Affiliate
            • MozCon
            • Webinars
            • Practical Marketer Series
            • MozPod
            Connect with us

            Contact the Help team

            Join our newsletter
            Moz logo
            © 2021 - 2026 SEOMoz, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved. Moz is a registered trademark of SEOMoz, Inc.
            • Accessibility
            • Terms of Use
            • Privacy