What are Canonical Tags?
A canonical tag (or rel=canonical) tells search engines which version is the “main” version of a page from the other, identical or very similar pages.
Canonical tags can be used to specify which version of the content should be indexed if multiple URLs are available with the same or similar content.
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.bapugraphics.com/blog " />What are the benefits of canonical tags for SEO?
They help manage syndicated content
Search engines use Canonical Tags to determine which websites contain the original content and which ones republish it
There are many website owners who (either for promotional purposes or for another purpose) post their content on other websites.
It is up to Google to choose which website is the initial resource of this content and also ought to be presented as a search results page as well as which internet site simply promotes it.
This problem can be resolved by implementing canonical tags on external websites in order to promote the original, main version of the page in Google search results.
In this way, crawling is improved
Using canonical tags makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index pages that you actually want to be crawled and indexed instead of duplicates that shouldn’t be crawled.
How to add canonical tags?
A separate field is available in the Advanced section for each piece of content’s canonical URL and Changes can be made by following these steps. The instructions for your platform can be found by clicking on the appropriate tab.
1. Go to your WordPress website and log in.
You are now in your ‘Dashboard’.
2. Choose the post, page, or taxonomy for which you want to change the canonical URL.
The left-hand side of the screen displays a menu for navigating your posts, pages, and other content then Click on the content you want to edit to access its editing screen.
3. The ‘Advanced’ section in the Yoast SEO sidebar or meta box can be found once you’re on the editing screen and then scroll to the end of the screen you find the canonical tag.
Canonical tag best practices
1. Use absolute URLs
In contrast to relative URLs, absolute URLs in canonical tags can help you avoid unintentional mistakes or incorrect interpretations by search engines. If possible, absolute URLs should also include https, //, www, and trailing slashes.
Example of Absolute URL in canonical tag.
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.bapugraphics.com/pagename/" />Example of real UEL in canonical tag.
<link rel="canonical" href="/pagename/" />2. Use lowercase URLs
In URLs, search engines like Google can be sensitive to uppercase and lowercase letters. By using lowercase in canonical URLs, you can avoid duplication issues with search engines. Whenever possible, use lowercase URLs on your servers as well as canonical tags.
3. Make use of self-referencing canonical
it is always a good practice to include a canonical tag on a page that indicates itself– even if you did not make use of canonical tags on the rest of the duplicate pages.
