Though duplicate pages can be found on websites, you may be wondering how they affect your search engine optimisation (SEO) rankings. Many professionals address this issue by canonicalisation, which entails transforming different data representations into a standard format. This procedure guarantees that the most relevant version for consumers is easily accessible and that search engines can effectively index it. In this article, we will explore what is canonicalisation, the methods and how to use them effectively.
What is Canonicalisation?
Canonicalisation, also known as “canonical tagging” or “canonical URL”, is selecting the preferred URL for a webpage when multiple URLs can display the same content. An essential aspect of search engine optimisation (SEO) ensures that search engines and users can easily find and access the content they are looking for.
Duplicate content can harm your website’s SEO because search engines may need help understanding which version of the content to index and display in the search results. Using canonicalisation, you can indicate which URL is preferred to index and display to search engines, which can help avoid duplicate content issues and improve your website’s SEO.
Why is Canonicalisation Important?
Canonicalisation is critical for any web developer since it promotes unique content. A firm website may rank higher in search engine result pages if the number of URLs linked with it is reduced. Internet users can find a webpage with a single URL more easily. As a result, canonicalisation can boost a website’s internet presence and SEO. A website’s content can be distinguished in search engine results using canonicalisation.
Canonicalisation is crucial when a business provides products in several sizes and colours. For example, if a company sells black, brown, and blue colour watches in the same product category, you could design a canonical URL that directs customers to the main product page and includes viewing choices for the various colours. As a result, visitors to the website might see all of the company’s offerings, and the website could supply original information to search engines.
How To Set the Canonical URL?
To set the canonical URL for a webpage, you can follow these steps:
Before setting the canonical URL, you must determine which URL is preferred for the result page. This can be based on factors such as the URL that receives the most traffic, the URL that is linked to the most, or the most SEO-friendly URL.
You have determined the preferred URL for the page, and you can add a rel=canonical tag to the page’s HTML code. The rel=canonical tag should be placed in the head section of the HTML code, between the opening <head> and closing </head> tags.
Within the rel=canonical tag, you should specify the URL of the preferred page. For example, if the preferred URL for the page is “clickdo.ae/page1,” the rel=canonical tag would look like this:
<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://clickdo.ae/page1″ />
After setting the canonical URL, it’s a good idea to update any links on your website that point to the non-preferred URLs so that they point to the preferred URL instead.
By following these steps, you can set the canonical URL for a webpage, which can help ensure that search engines and users can easily find and access the content they are looking for while avoiding duplicate content issues that can harm your website’s SEO.
Best Practices for Canonicalisation
Now that you know about canonicalisation and how to set it up on the website to avoid duplicate content. Then, let’s explore the best practices of canonicalisation to implement.
Only Canonicalise Once
Canonicalisation is beneficial for SEO, but only when done once. Repeating the process is not required if you already have canonicalised data. While repeating the canonicalisation process reduces a website’s online presence, only doing it once allows you to specify which URL you wish to display in search results.
Consider The Number of Pages In a URL.
Some web developers work on websites that incorporate multiple-page blogs. Check that each unique page’s main URL is present to guarantee that the content remains organised during canonicalisation. When you adopt this strategy, people can immediately begin reading blog articles.
Continue To Be Intentional
While many web developers who perform canonicalisation focus on modifying old URLs, they may also assist businesses in developing new websites. Consider adopting the same link format for all your pages instead of implementing numerous URL variations if you’re creating a new website. Consistency can aid in directing visitors to a particular webpage version.
Web developers that use proper URL formatting can boost their website’s exposure in search engine rankings. Instead of using default URLs on your website’s server, you can manually enter them to ensure they match your chosen link formats. Your efforts can help search engines organise your pages more effectively and improve accuracy.
Use the Canonical Tag for Almost Identical URLs
Because canonicalisation primarily concerns managing duplicate material, it is best to practise using canonical tags exclusively for related URLs. To help you reduce duplicate content, you can add canonical tags to the code for sites with similar URLs. This can assist you in complying with search engine restrictions and improve your website’s internet exposure.
Final Thoughts
For quite some time, the world has been shifting towards internet marketing and ecommerce. Your consumers’ experience on your website is critical to your business, and increasing traffic is the best way to develop your business. Getting your brand as high up the SEO tree as possible is one strategy to attract visitors to your website, and having strong content and a fantastic product is another.
Canonicalisation does little to improve your clients’ experience, but it can be highly beneficial in boosting traffic to your website. In addition, it may enable you to rank near the top of the ever-increasingly vital search engine rankings.
