Canonical Tag: What is it and why it matters

Last Updated April 22, 2024

Today, we are going to talk about a term that is crucial for your blog’s SEO – the Canonical Tag.

What is a Canonical Tag?

A canonical tag, also known as rel=canonical, is a piece of HTML code that helps search engines identify the main version of a page when there are multiple pages with identical or very similar content.

In simpler terms, it’s a way to tell search engines, “Hey, this is the main version of this page that I want you to index and show in the search results.”

For example, the canonical tag for your main blog page might look like this:

<link rel="canonical" href="https://yourblog.com/main-page/" />

Why Are Canonical Tags Important?

Avoid Duplicate Content: Search engines, like Google, don’t like duplicate content. It confuses them, and they might end up indexing and ranking the wrong version of your page. Canonical tags help you specify which version of the page you want to be considered as the main one.
Consolidate Link Equity: If there are multiple versions of a page, the backlinks to those pages will be divided among them. By using a canonical tag, you consolidate the link equity to the main page, which can help improve its ranking.
Improve Crawling Efficiency: Search engines have a crawl budget, which is the number of pages they will crawl on your site in a given time. By using canonical tags, you can help search engines to not waste their crawl budget on duplicate pages.

Best Practices for Using Canonical Tags

Use Absolute URLs: Always use the absolute URL in the canonical tag, not the relative URL. For example, use https://yourblog.com/main-page/ instead of /main-page/.
Self-Canonicalize: Even if a page doesn’t have any duplicates, it’s still a good practice to include a self-referencing canonical tag. This helps to avoid any confusion for search engines.
Be Consistent: Make sure that the URL used in the canonical tag is consistent across the site. For example, if your site uses https, make sure that the canonical tag also uses https.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Canonical Chains: A canonical chain occurs when Page A references Page B as the canonical, and Page B references Page C as the canonical. Always point the canonical tag directly to the main version of the page.
Multiple Canonical Tags: There should only be one canonical tag on a page. If there are multiple canonical tags, search engines might ignore them.
Non-Similar Content: Don’t use the canonical tag on pages with completely different content. It should only be used on pages with identical or very similar content.

Conclusion

Canonical tags are an essential tool for bloggers to manage duplicate content, consolidate link equity, and improve crawling efficiency. By using them correctly, you can help search engines understand your content better and improve your blog’s SEO.

How do I know when I should use a canonical tag on my blog posts?

Use a canonical tag when you have two or more URLs with the same or very similar content. For example, if your blog post can load with tracking parameters or both with and without a trailing slash, those are good cases for a canonical tag.

You should also use a canonical tag if you publish similar content in series, like “Best Tools for Bloggers 2023” and “Best Tools for Bloggers 2024,” and parts of the content overlap. A clear canonical tells Google which main page should keep most of the SEO value.

If you are not sure, ask: “Would a reader feel like these pages are almost the same thing?” If the answer is yes, you likely need a canonical tag.

For content that is truly different, do not use a canonical tag. Those pages should stand on their own and be optimized with unique titles, meta descriptions, and internal links.

What is the difference between a canonical tag and a noindex tag?

A canonical tag tells search engines which version of similar pages is the main one to index and rank. The other versions can still be crawled, but the main SEO value is passed to the canonical URL.

A noindex tag tells search engines not to index that specific page at all. This is useful for pages you never want in search results, like some thank you pages or test pages. You can learn more about this in the noindex tag guide from RightBlogger.

Use a canonical tag when you want one main version of a group of similar pages to rank. Use noindex when you do not want a page to appear in Google at all.

You should avoid using both canonical and noindex on the same page, because it can send mixed signals. Pick the one that best fits your goal for that page.

How can I check if my canonical tags are set up correctly?

First, open your page in a browser, then view the page source and search for rel="canonical". Check that the URL in the canonical tag is a full, absolute URL and matches the main version you want Google to index.

Make sure your canonical tag uses the correct protocol and format, such as https instead of http, and the preferred version with or without www. Also check that each page has only one canonical tag.

Next, confirm that pages with similar content all point to the same main canonical URL. Avoid “chains” where Page A points to Page B and Page B points to Page C.

You can also watch for changes in search traffic over time after fixing canonical tags. Better use of canonicals, along with strong internal links, often helps your main pages perform better, especially when paired with smart internal linking basics.

How can RightBlogger help me avoid duplicate content and use canonical tags better?

RightBlogger helps you plan and write unique content so you rely less on similar or duplicate posts. The AI Article Writer can generate fresh angles and outlines, which makes it easier to avoid repeating the same content across many URLs.

You can then use tools like SEO Reports and optimization features to spot weak or overlapping posts. This makes it clear which page should be your main canonical version for a topic.

Once you know your main page, you can set the canonical tag in your site’s theme or SEO plugin, and keep other near-duplicate pages more focused or trimmed down. Over time, this helps Google see one strong, well optimized page instead of many weaker copies.

By pairing smart canonicals with RightBlogger’s SEO tools, you save time and reduce confusion for both search engines and readers. Your key posts become stronger, and your content library stays more organized.