What is Canonical URL? Its Function and How to Use It
If you have a page that can be accessed from several URL variations or pages with similar content, canonical URL can be chosen as an option. If you do not implement canonical URL on similar content, Google will consider one or both of them invalid.
If this happens, of course, the visibility of the page in search engines becomes less optimal and the page may not be indexed, making search results inaccurate and ultimately affecting the page on search engines.
To prevent this, canonical URL becomes one of the ways that can be applied to complete pages to obtain search ranking results.
What is Canonical URL
Basically, canonical URL is a page considered representative compared to a set of duplicate pages on a site. So, canonical URL is the main URL of several URL variations on pages with similar content.
Using canonical URL will help website owners prevent duplicate content issues. Not only that, by using this technique, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) performance for your website will improve.
Because, the use of canonical URL is closely related to URLs that receive rankings on SERP (Search Engine Results Page). The implementation of canonical URL is also a beneficial SEO technique to inform search engines if a page should be ranked when content duplication occurs.
Function & Benefits of Canonical URL
As mentioned above, canonical URL serves to avoid duplicate content on website pages. The use of canonical URL is also a way to inform search engines which main page should be indexed.
During the SEO optimization process, duplicate content can have a negative impact on your web page such as the page not appearing in SERP and reduced crawl budget. Not only that, Google also dislikes duplicate content because it can make their job difficult.
If duplicate content occurs, Google will have difficulty determining which page to index and rank in search results. It should be noted that search engines will consider the same content, but different URLs will be considered separate pages.
Meanwhile, for users, if many websites look like the same page, they will still consider the website as the same page. Whereas for Google, those links are different pages with duplicate content.
If there is no canonical URL, Google will determine which page to prioritize on its own. Then Googlebot will choose the most complete and useful page, eventually marking it as canonical.
This page will be frequently crawled by Google, while other pages considered duplicate will be rarely crawled. When this happens continuously, Google may choose the wrong page, and eventually the main page may lose its ranking and web traffic.
When to Use Canonical URL
Actually, not all pages need a canonical URL. Therefore, before implementing a canonical URL on a website page, there are several things to consider. Here are the right times to use a canonical URL, including:
Presence of duplicate content
Pages with similar content
Using parameters in the URL.
Examples of Canonical URL
Here are some examples of using canonical URL, including:
Using WWW
The first example is the application of WWW at the beginning of the domain. For example, https://www.cantiksekali.id, then https://cantiksekali.id.
Different Devices
Differences in appearance when pages are accessed on different devices such as through mobile, web, and AMP versions.
Implementation of SSL and HTTPS
Implementation of SSL on domains such as http://cantiksekali.id, and https://cantiksekali.id.
Product Variations
For example, product variations like using colors in the URL, especially for websites that contain products with different colors.
Content Variations
Another example of canonical URL can also be done by providing content variations, targeting a specific keyword.
Does Canonical Tag Affect Google Ranking?
Basically, Google itself does not want to display duplicate content in search results. Therefore, website owners must determine the canonical URL on the prioritized page to gain visibility and ranking on SERP.
Using canonical URL can inform Google if the page with canonical URL is similar to other pages on the site. So, using canonical URL can help Google to take and connect all ranking signals from duplicate content on one URL.
Previously mentioned that the use of canonical URL is closely related to URLs that will appear in SERP. However, this does not mean that canonical URL is a factor that affects ranking or SEO.
This is because Google may ignore and choose its own canonical URL based on several factors such as using SSL, URL existence, content quality, and others.
Things to Consider When Implementing Canonical URL
Canonical URL cannot be applied arbitrarily. When implementing a canonical URL on a page, there are several things to consider, such as:
Create canonical URL using Yoast SEO WordPress plugin.
Create canonical URL using HTML tags.
Choose one canonical URL on each page.
Apply canonical URL.
Use the correct domain version.
Use lowercase URLs.
Use absolute URLs.
Things to Avoid When Using Canonical URL
When implementing a canonical URL on a website page, there are several things to avoid, such as:
Avoid placing canonical URL in the header section.
Use self-referential canonical URL.
Use capital letters in the URL.
Avoid using absolute URL.
Avoid using more than one canonical URL.
Reasons to Use Canonical URL
Why should website owners use canonical URL. There are several reasons why website owners should use canonical URL, such as:
Determine which URL people see in searches.
Consolidate link signals on duplicate pages.
Simplify tracking metrics on a topic or product.
Manage syndicated content.
Avoid unnecessary crawling.
Canonical URL may not be the main focus when implementing SEO on a website. However, this does not mean that website owners should not pay attention to it. To design canonical URL correctly, you can rely on WEBARQ.
With over 10 years of experience in website development, security, and content, you can trust the quality of service provided. So, what are you waiting for? Contact WEBARQ and find solutions for your company's website.
