Definition
An HTML element that tells search engines which version of a URL is the 'master' copy, preventing duplicate content issues.
In Depth
Canonical tags (rel='canonical') consolidate ranking signals when the same content is accessible at multiple URLs (with/without www, HTTP/HTTPS, URL parameters). Self-referencing canonicals on every page are a best practice.
Example Usage
Adding canonical tags to glossary pages so Google knows /glossary/rest-api is the canonical URL, not /glossary/rest-api?category=api.
Business Context
Without canonical tags, search engines may split ranking signals across duplicate URLs, weakening your ability to rank for target keywords.
Related Terms
Crawl Budget
The number of pages a search engine will crawl on your site within a given timeframe, determined by ...
Indexing
The process by which search engines add web pages to their database (index) so they can appear in se...
Keyword Research
The process of discovering and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines, to info...
Long-Tail Keyword
A specific, multi-word search phrase with lower search volume but higher conversion intent than broa...
Meta Description
An HTML attribute providing a brief summary of a page's content, displayed as the snippet text in se...
Also Known As
Tags
Quick Info
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