What is Canonical Tag?
An HTML element that tells search engines which version of a URL is the 'master' copy to prevent duplicate content issues.
Deep Dive
A canonical tag (rel='canonical') sits in the <head> section of a webpage. It helps Google understand which page to index when multiple pages have similar or identical content.
For example, if you have 'example.com/shoes' and 'example.com/shoes?sort=price', the second URL should point back to the first one as canonical to consolidate ranking power.
Key Takeaways
- Prevents duplicate content penalties.
- Consolidates link equity (ranking power) to a single URL.
- Crucial for e-commerce sites with filtering and sorting.
- Self-referencing canonicals are a best practice.
Why This Matters Now
The internet is full of duplicates. Mobile versions, printer-friendly versions, tracking parameters. Without canonicals, Google sees 10 versions of your page and splits the ranking power by 10.
The canonical tag is the 'Original Source' stamp. It tells Google: 'Ignore those other customized versions, THIS is the one that counts'.
Common Myths & Misconceptions
It forces Google to obey.
Reality:It's a hint, not a directive. Google *usually* respects it, but if the content is wildly different, they might ignore it.
I only need it for duplicates.
Reality:Every page should have a 'self-referencing' canonical tag. It prevents scrapers from stealing your content and ranking above you.
Real-World Use Cases
E-commerce: Handling product variants. The Red, Blue, and Green shirts all point to the main 'Shirt' URL.
Syndication: If you republish your Medium article on your own blog, the Medium article should canonicalize to your blog so you get the credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Canonical vs Redirect?
A 301 Redirect moves the user. A Canonical keeps the user on the page but tells the bot to count it elsewhere. Use Redirects when the old page is dead; use Canonicals when you need to keep both pages live.
Does it pass link juice?
Yes, it acts very similarly to a 301 redirect in terms of passing authority.
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