canonical URL tells search engines which version of a duplicate page is the main one to prioritize and index correctly.
Canonical URLs help solve the issue of duplicate content—a common SEO problem where the same or similar content exists on multiple URLs. By using the canonical tag (rel="canonical"), website owners can indicate the preferred (canonical) version of a page to search engines.
Why Canonical URLs Matter in SEO:
- Avoid Duplicate Content Issues – Ensures search engines don’t split ranking signals across multiple versions of a page.
- Consolidates Link Equity – All backlinks and SEO value get directed to the canonical URL.
- Improves Crawl Efficiency – Helps bots avoid wasting crawl budget on duplicate or similar pages.
- Protects Original Content – Prevents accidental self-duplication and scrapers from outranking your content.
Example Scenario:
If your website has two versions of a product page:
example.com/shoes?color=blueexample.com/shoes
You would set the canonical tag on the first to point to the second:
htmlCopyEdit<link rel="canonical" href="https://example.com/shoes">
Best Practices:
- Use absolute URLs in canonical tags.
- Always include a self-referencing canonical tag.
- Avoid setting multiple canonical tags on a page.
- Don’t canonicalize paginated or distinctly different content.
- Audit your site regularly for correct canonical implementation.