Canonical tags

Canonical tags (rel=”canonical”) are HTML elements used to indicate the preferred version of a web page when multiple versions of similar content exist.

They are primarily used to address duplicate content issues that can arise from URL variations, session IDs, printer-friendly versions, or other factors.

The canonical tag is placed in the head section of an HTML document and contains a URL reference to the preferred version of the page. Search engines and web crawlers interpret this tag as a signal to consolidate the ranking signals and indexing properties of the different versions and attribute them to the canonical URL.

By implementing canonical tags, website owners can consolidate the ranking potential and avoid dilution of search engine authority caused by duplicate content. It helps search engines understand the original and intended version of a page, reducing the chances of penalization for duplicate content.

Canonical tags are particularly useful in situations where different URLs can lead to the same content, such as e-commerce product pages with multiple filters or pagination. They ensure that search engines understand which version of the page should be prioritized in search results.

It’s important to note that canonical tags are recommendations to search engines and not directives. Search engines may still choose to index or consider other versions of the page, especially if they find them more relevant or authoritative.

Implementing canonical tags correctly can improve a website’s SEO performance by consolidating ranking signals and avoiding duplicate content issues, resulting in better visibility and search engine rankings.