Google recently (Nov 2024) selected four different canonicals in three days; the intriguing part is that it selected the canonical URL from third-party domain names. It appears they have challenges selecting the proper canonical URL when sites have indexed one or very few URLs. This can happen on sites/domains that share the same splash homepage across multiple parked or expired domains or domains for sale.

In one instance, Google selected dot.com as canonical (this domain shares the same host as mine.). This is a screenshot from the splash page, which both sites share:

Sidenote: dot.com seems to have been hacked:

In another instance, Google selected a site’s homepage from a different host but with semantically similar content.

In the other two instances, Google selected domains that expired earlier this year. Perhaps the sites recently featured a generic splash page, so Google picked it up as canonical.

Since my domain is parked, I am not worried about the wrong canonical, but what do you think? Should Google select canonicals from a property that’s not in your control?