What is canonical URL used for?

A canonical tag (aka “rel canonical”) is a way of telling search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page. Using the canonical tag prevents problems caused by identical or “duplicate” content appearing on multiple URLs.

How do I fix canonical issues in SEO?

There are two main ways to fix canonical issues on a website: by implementing 301 redirects, and/or by adding canonical tags to your site’s pages to tell Google which of several similar pages is preferred.

What are canonical tags and when should you use them?

A canonical tag tells search engines what page it should display in search results. This means that if you have two pages with duplicate content, adding a canonical tag will tell the search engine which is the master copy and what page is the clone/duplicate.

Do canonical tags affect SEO?

Quick answer: Canonical tags affect SEO from two points of view. For once, they directly influence how search results display. They can also influence the general rankings of a website due to multiple factors, such as structure, user experience and PageRank flow.

Is canonical tag required?

Google’s John Mueller says that while not mandatory, self-referential canonical tags are recommended. I recommend [using a] self-referential canonical because it really makes it clear to us which page you want to have indexed, or what the URL should be when it is indexed.

How important are canonical tags?

The canonical tag is an important part of letting Google know which site is original and should be ranked as such and which pages should be disregarded. Without this tag, Google is left guessing, which lowers the rankings of your site.

What is canonical tag in HTML?

A canonical link element is an HTML element that helps webmasters prevent duplicate content issues in search engine optimization by specifying the “canonical” or “preferred” version of a web page. It is described in RFC 6596, which went live in April 2012.

How do I use canonical tag?

Canonical tag implementation for Sitecore Identify your preferred URL for duplicate content. Your preferred URL is the canonical URL. Add a rel=”canonical” link from the duplicate pages to the canonical one. Add a self-referencing canonical tag on the canonical page, referencing itself as the canonical page.

Why are canonical tags important?

The canonical tag helps Google and other search engines understand which pages have original content and which pages are duplicates. This establishes the proper authority and ranking of the original content, without penalizing it for having a duplicate page elsewhere.