What Is URL Canonicalization?
Having multiple URLs of the same web page causes a search engine to find the original web page, we use the canonical URL to solve this kind of problem.
If the same web page opens with multiple URLs, then it is a canonical issue and if this happens then Google or any search engine can penalize your website. According to Google’s algorithm, if you copy a website and create a new website, then it becomes a copy content issue and Google’s algorithm penalizes your website, and to remove the issue of this copied content Canonicalization is the use of.
Why Canonicalization?
Duplicate content means very serious matter and Canonicalization protects your website from duplicate content. without canonicalization, your website ranking can decrease. In website ranking there are many factors that play the role, it is one of them. If in your website have unique content but you did not implement the canonicalization tag even then your website can be penalized from the search engine because of your website opening with multiple URL. So for you need to do it.
How Search Engine Confuse?
Example.com
In the whole URL, your only website is being open, so that Google or any search engine gets confused which is the original website.
It means search engines see that it is all separate websites and they count it as 4 websites. And when google or other search engines found duplicate content of other sites on your website then search engines algorithm can penalize your site.
In your site, there is no duplicate content but when your site opening with those URLs then search engines found these are different sites so for, tell to the search engine that these are only one website.
If you want to avoid this penalty of copy content, then you need to do canonicalization.
Setup Canonical Tag In Website
In the canonical tag, you have to enter the full url of your website, if your site is HTTP, you have to start with HTTP
<link rel=”canonical” href=”http://www.example.com”>
OR
If you have https, then you have to start your website URL from https
<link rel=”canonical” href=”https://www.example.com”>
Same Content In Multiple Pages
If on your website there are multiple pages of the same content and you want to keep that content on pages but the search engine does not allow that. in this case, you have to mention the URL of that page on the other pages where from you copied.
Why Need To Copy?
Suppose you are selling something like an online course or Ebook and you created a new page of the same content as a form of PDF so there will be two pages on your website of the same content. it means you copied a page of the website. so google or search engines can penalize your website. but don’t worry here is the solution, simply copy the URL of the master page of your website and mention it on that page where you copied, and paste the URL of the master page in the canonicalization tag. Now you realized why you need to copy the pages.
Don’t Give Wrong Address To Search Engine
canonicalization plays an important role in search engines so don’t give it a wrong address, suppose on your website there are 3 pages X, Y, Z. On page X you give URL of Y page (X to Y) and on-page Y you give URL of page Z (Y to Z), in this case, search engines will be confused and it will not show the proper result to users. So remember it, don’t use this type of redirection and send a clear signal to the search engine.
Check Canonicalization In Website
first of all, you need to understand what is canonicalization then check it on your website that canonicalization implemented on the website or not. The process of finding the canonical tag is below.
- Go to your website
- Press Ctrl+U
- Press Ctrl+F or F3 to open search box
- In the search box type “canonical”
if canonicalization tag is implemented in your website then only you need to paste the URL of your website here but if not available then you have to create the tag:
Tag Example
<link rel=”canonical” href=”Website URL”>