Marketing & search · Website help · Canonical and URL variants

An old PDF competes with its replacement page

A downloadable brochure and a newer web guide answer almost the same question. The older file remains the result people encounter.

What to change

A brochure and a web guide may be duplicates, complementary resources or meaningfully different versions. Compare them before selecting a technical treatment. If the file should remain downloadable, ask which supported response options express the intended relationship. If it has a real successor, consider the incoming visitor's task. Do not force a canonical relationship between unlike resources simply because the newer page is commercially preferred.

A worked example

Illustrative example

Illustrative test: Follow a saved brochure link and verify the agreed destination or continued download.

How to check the result

The selected document policy is implemented consistently and readers retain the intended access.

A mistake to avoid

Do not declare unrelated pages equivalent merely to force a preferred result.

Your action checklist

Use these checks to prepare a discussion with your team or supplier. Tick a check when you have recorded the decision or evidence, rather than when a feature has simply been promised.

Decisions to record

Entries stay in this page and are not submitted to Kay & Co. Download your notes before leaving; the page does not save them.

Healthcare marketing planning with an editorial calendar, audience question and campaign brief.
Start with the audience question and a clear content brief.
Healthcare marketing enquiry journey connecting a service page, message and appointment calendar.
Connect the public promise to a supported next step.
Healthcare marketing measurement illustrated by a dashboard, comparison bars and inspection lens.
Check the evidence and definitions behind the report.

Further reading

These primary sources provide additional context for the project decisions above.

Related decisions

Turn the brief into a working service

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