The problem of duplicate site pages is one of the most critical for promotion. The surest way to deal with it is to use the 301 redirect code. However, this path can not always be implemented: there are situations when it is impossible to do this either technically (due to the features of the CMS), or when the presence of identical and almost identical URLs in terms of content is functionally necessary.
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The canonical tag was introduced by Google in 2009 as an indicator of the main page among duplicates. By using it internally, you let the robot know which of the duplicates is the main one and is subject to indexing. At the same time, all important characteristics, such as link mass, PageRank, and other related signals, are transferred to the URL that is specified as the main one. |
Using the canonical tag is useful when using various" engines " (CMS), in which the automatic creation of duplicates is a feature. It can also be used effectively in cases where the same pages are necessary to ensure the functionality of the site.
When is the canonical tag used, and what is its use for promotion?
For SEO specialists, it is no secret that the presence of duplicate URLs in terms of content negatively affects the promotion. The robot can't figure out which one is the main one on its own, so it simply doesn't perform indexing. The result is a loss of ranking during ranking, lower output in search results for queries, and loss of customers. If there is a technical possibility, to delete duplicates, use the 301 redirect code, which redirects the user and the search robot to the current section. But it is not always technically possible to use it.
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The canonical tag indicating the main page among duplicates is used in such cases:
- If there are different ways to sort the product, when the option used is written in the URL
- If it is possible to display the catalog page with all products (function-show all)
- If there is one product with different characteristics (for example, color)
- When using the print page function
- If there is an affiliate program on the site (for example, a referral system)
- When using different language versions
- If necessary, "glue" the directory index file
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All of these cases functionally assume the same pages with different URLs. But only one should be indexed – the one that you choose as the main one, the main one. Checking and analyzing the correct use of canonical links in this case is extremely important for website promotion.
How is the site analyzed for using the canonical tag?
When choosing a tool that allows you to conduct a high-quality canonical analysis with 100% confidence, each SEO specialist is guided by objective and subjective factors: experience, ease of use, efficiency of analysis, speed of work completion. But in addition to getting reliable results, you need a lot of practical experience in conducting site audits in order to correctly interpret the results obtained and make the right decision.
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Specialists Seostudy.Com.Ua they have extensive practical experience in performing canonical analysis for sites of various types. In our practice, we use proven and reliable methods – the Screaming Frog SEO Spider application, which today is one of the most reliable for SEO specialists. |
After performing the necessary analysis, we will carefully study the results, provide a complete list of necessary changes, suggest pages that will be most effective to use the canonical tag on, and maximize your site's ability to promote in the most popular search engines.
