How to properly use canonical tags in SEO

@AleksAtWork #brightonSEO
How to Properly Use Canonical Tags
A deep dive into the practical uses
(and common misuses)
of the rel=“canonical” element in SEO

Overview Of the Presentation
1. Review what a canonical tag is
2. Examples of when to use
3. Examples of when NOT to use
4. Action items for your site

Background on the Canonical

What is a Canonical Tag?
A line of code in the <head>
section referencing a
canonical URL that is the best
version of the page for search
results. Useful in instances
where multiple versions of a
page exist (duplicate content).

What Does It Actually Look Like?
Source Code for https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man

Quick Tip!
Look in the “page source”
to find the canonical (or
confirm there isn’t one
being used)

Do You Have to Use Them?
How Google deals with
pages that look very
similar:
a. Try serving them all and cause cannibalization
b. Split SEO value between the page versions
c. Assign a canonical URL they feel is best

Sometimes Google Makes Mistakes
If you don’t utilize
canonicals, you are
taking a risk. Many
times, duplicate
content issues arise
simply from the lack
of a canonical tag.

When to Use a Canonical Tag

Case #1: Known Duplicate Pages
If you know a page comes with a variety of
URLs you can use to access it. E.g. URL
parameters, UTM codes, republished
content with new URL.

Duplicate Pages Example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-
Man?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=AlekssSEO
Vs.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man

Case #2: Self-Referential
It is a great tactic to have each URL refer to
itself as a canonical as a measure against
accidental page copies.

Self-Referential Canonical Example
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man/
Vs.

Case #3: Similar Content
At times, there is a reason different URLs of
seemingly identical pages can exist. It’s up
to you which version is the best for your
Organic search users.

Similar Content Examples
https://www.hahaha.com/en/2019-montreal-festival
Vs.
Vs.

Wrong Ways to Use a Canonical Tag

Case #1: To Keep Obsolete Pages
Ask yourself if the page serves any
additional purpose to the canonical
version. If any user on your site would
find ALL the useful content on one of the
versions, this is a time for a 301 redirect.

Example of Extraneous Duplicate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man/
Vs.

Case #2: To Ignore Autogenerated URLs
Just because you use a canonical, does not
mean you can ignore all duplicate pages.

Example of Autogenerated URLs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man?@Spiderman
And
Man?@Spiderman@Spiderman
And…
Man?@Spiderman@Spiderman@Spiderman@Spiderman@Spider
man@Spiderman

Case #3: On Pages That Aren’t Similar
Canonical tags designate the page that
should rank within the set, e.g. 5 pages for
the same product in different colors.
Canonicals are not a tool to concentrate
SEO value on that one page you want to
promote. They are also not a replacement
for hreflang tags.

Example of Pages That Are Not Similar
Vs.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man

How to Apply This to Your Site

Quick Check-Up
Review the source code on different
page templates of your site:
a. Different languages
b. Different sections of the site
c. Subdomains

Crawl Your Site!
Use tools to crawl
your site. Screaming
Frog can show you
all the canonical tag
elements each of
your pages uses.

About Aleks Shklyar
oSEO Engineer at iPullRank
https://ipullrank.com/blog
oDoing SEO for 9 years (both in-
house and agency)
oFrom Brooklyn, NY
oLoves Screaming Frog and
wears size Large hoodies

Thank You!

How to properly use canonical tags in SEO

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