What is a Canonical Tag?
An HTML tag used to prevent duplicate content issues by specifying the preferred version of a web page.
Table of Contents
Full Definition
Canonical tags inform search engines about the 'master' version of duplicate or similar pages.
They consolidate ranking signals and avoid dilution caused by multiple URLs with the same content.
Proper canonicalization improves SEO by ensuring authority is focused on a single preferred URL.
It’s especially important for e-commerce sites, pagination, and content syndication.
Examples
Duplicate content management
URL consolidation
Ranking signal focus
Benefits
Prevents SEO dilution
Improves indexing accuracy
Clarifies content ownership
Common Mistakes
Misuse can cause indexing issues
Requires careful implementation
Conclusion
Canonical tags are vital for managing content duplication and maximizing SEO value.