Seo issue - multiple versions of one product

[parfumylacno]

Hello,

In eshop with alternate perfumes (common perfumes have not such issues) I have to solve SEO problem with multiple versions of one product. This perfumes has to example - basic version, intense version, pheromone version. Each one have a own special composition. And there is begining of SEO problem:

To example we have a one perfum Christian Dior Fahrenheit. And his second version. How can we set/to "tell" to Google that the first version is important, main. And the second version is somethnig like child for first version. But i cant make it with classic parent/children solution -because of different compositions, pictures, etc of each version.

How can be fix this for SEO? I think that one of solution can be tag Rel=canonical - but im not sure how to use it in that case?

Thank you very much

[Studio 42]

rel=canonical is used by Virtuemart to always send to google only 1 link when you have multiple categories for 1 product to prevent duplicate content.
I dont think that you can set priority for google, google is the master, this is to prevent SEO cheating.
The only way is to provide better description, linking ... for the master product that the secondary one and hope that google rank it better.

[AH]

Studio

google is the master, this is to prevent SEO cheating.

In the latest version of VM 3.15 you can choose which category should be used in the canonical url

I believe the issue is that if you use full category tree in VM

The canonical url contains the category

When an item is in multiple categories the category for the canonical is the lowest category_id

[Studio 42]

In the latest version of VM 3.15 you can choose which category should be used in the canonical url

He want solve this for 2 different products, not categories. I dont think that you have a solution for this.

[AH]

Studio - your are absolutely correct.

Ignore my canonical post

[jjk]

But i cant make it with classic parent/children solution -because of different compositions, pictures, etc of each version.

I don't see a problem there. If you use 'generic child' products, you can assign a different description and also different pictures to the generic child products and each version from the drop down selection has its' own canonical.

[Studio 42]

JJk, it only want to "fake" google to have better rank for main product, but this is not possible if you dont do all the SEO work that main product has better pagerank.

[parfumylacno]

thank you all for advices, insights and inspirations.

i will see what i would make with it