This Question / Tutorial is related to On Page Optimization Services
Canonical Tag in SEO: Definition, Use & Best Practices
A canonical tag (also written as <link rel="canonical">
) is an HTML element that tells search engines which version of a page is the preferred or original version, especially when there are duplicate or near-identical URLs.
It’s a vital part of technical and on-page SEO, helping prevent duplicate content penalties and consolidating ranking signals.
When multiple URLs show similar content (like filters, tracking parameters, or print versions), search engines may get confused about which page to index or rank.
Using canonical tags helps to:
Avoid duplicate content issues
Consolidate link equity (backlinks) to a single URL
Improve crawl efficiency
Maintain stronger domain authority
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.example.com/your-page-url/" />
This tag should be placed in the <head>
section of the HTML on all duplicate versions of the page, pointing to the canonical (original) one.
Example:
example.com/shoes?color=black
andexample.com/shoes?size=10
Canonical to:example.com/shoes
Example: UTM-tagged URLs from campaigns.
If your blog is republished on another domain, use canonical to point back to the original.
Helps consolidate authority to one key landing page.
β Setting multiple canonical tags on one page
β Canonicalizing to a broken or redirected page
β Using a non-indexable page as canonical
β Setting canonical to itself unnecessarily (although not harmful, it’s redundant)
Use tools like:
Google Search Console → URL Inspection Tool
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
Ahrefs Site Audit
SEO Meta in 1 Click (browser extension)
Or request a full SEO Audit to detect misused or missing canonical tags.
Feature | Canonical Tag | 301 Redirect |
---|---|---|
User Redirection | β No | β Yes |
SEO Signal Transfer | β Partial | β Full |
Use Case | Duplicate URLs | Page moved permanently |
Both are useful tools, but for duplicate content where all versions must stay live, canonical is preferred.
A canonical tag is a simple but powerful tool in SEO. When used correctly, it protects your site from content duplication issues, boosts page authority, and strengthens your on-page optimization.
π Need help auditing or implementing canonical tags across your website?
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06 Jul 2025
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