Canonical URLs Nedir?

La etiqueta Canonicale è un elemento HTML usato per indicare la versione preferita (originale) di una pagina web con più versiones di contenuto simili. This tag helps prevent the indexing of duplicate content by directing search engines to the original source.

What is a Canonical URL? Comprehensive Guide to SEO and Copy Content Problem

In the digital world, it is a fairly common problem for a content to be found in different URLs. This situation of “copy content”, often created unwittingly, can cause serious damage to a website's search engine rankings. Here is the vital tool used to solve this problem and notify search engines of a single, official version of a page: Canonical URLs.

Well, What is canonical URL, why is SEO an indispensable part of your strategy and how to implement it correctly? In this comprehensive guide you will find all the details, from the definition of the canonical URL to the areas of use, from the correct application methods to the most frequent mistakes.

What is a Canonical URL?

Canonical URLsis the only “preferred” version among those pages that are asked to be indexed and ranked by search engines when there are multiple pages on a website that are very similar to each other or with exactly the same content.

We can liken this concept to having multiple copies of the same book in a library. Although for readers all copies contain the same information, the library system designates one of these copies as the “master copy”. The Canonical URL also acts as this master copy, giving search engine bots the message “You see these pages, but the main thing is that I want you to know that all the value and ranking belong to this page”.

Canonical URL's Purpose and Importance for SEO

Using Canonical URLs is critical to maintaining and improving your SEO health.

Solving Copy Content Problem: When Google and other search engines see more than one page with the same content, it's hard to figure out which page is “original.” This means that the search engine to make you think your content is not unique and it can cause your site to lower its ranking. Canonical URL eliminates this confusion.
Combining Sequencing Signals: When you have multiple pages that look similar to each other, this backlinks to pages, ranking signals are scattered, such as social media posts. By using Canonical URLs, you combine all of these signals into a single page and maximize the authority of that page.
How to Use the Crawl Budget Efficiently: The number of pages search engine bots can crawl on a site is limited. Canonical URL encourages bots to focus their energy on your preferred homepage instead of scanning junk copies.

Canonical URL Uses and Statuses

The most common situations where you need to use the Canonical URL are:

Different URL Parameters: URLs that occur when a product's color, size, or filters are changed on an ecommerce site. (Eagle: ürün-adi.html? color=red and ürün-adi.html? size=L)
HTTP and HTTPS Versions: Home of your site http:// as well https:// be accessible through the protocol.
www and non-www Versions: Home of your site www.siteadi.com as well siteadi.com opening through.
Pagination: In a series of content divided into many pages (for example, a blog category), rel="canonical” with the tag you can specify the first page as the main canonical page.
AMP Pages: Mobile versions created for Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) must mark the desktop version as canonical.

Common Mistakes and Things to Watch Out For

Redirect to the Wrong Page: It is the biggest mistake. rel="canonical” The fact that the tag points to an incorrect or irrelevant page causes Google to misunderstand the structure of your site.
rel="canonical” with noindex Using the Label Together: These two labels give conflicting instructions. noindex when you say indexing the page to bots, Canonical tells bots to prefer a different page. This leads to confusion in search engines.
Not Self-Canonicalization: The canonical label of a sheet should indicate itself. This gives Google the message “This page is the master copy of this content” clearly.
Etiqueta Canonical <body> Placing In Part: rel="canonical” label only <head> It must be inside the label. <body> Its inclusion in the tag is ignored by search engines.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When should I use the Canonical URL?

In any case where two or more pages have very similar content, you should use it when you want to optimize the browsing budget or when you want to merge the ranking signals of one page on another page.

What is the difference between Canonical and 301 redirects?

301 redirectsis used in cases where the user and bots are permanently redirected to a new URL. Canonical URLs, on the other hand, protect pages with copy content to tell bots “this page is a copy, the original page is this”, but do not redirect the user. The 301 redirect permanently carries the page value, while the canonical tag helps merge signals.

How to check the canonical label?

<head>By examining the source code of a page (Ctrl+U or right-click > View page source), you can search for the rel="canonical” tag in the section. In addition, the URL checker tool in Google Search Console also provides information about the canonical tag.

Conclusion: Canonical URL is a Powerful Tool of Technical SEO

Canonical URLs, website owners and SEO experts It may seem like a complicated and mysterious subject. But when properly understood and implemented, it is a vital tool that radically solves the problem of copy content, strengthens your ranking signals, and maintains the health of your site in front of search engines.

Don't forget, canonical label it is not just a label, but a transparent communication language that you establish with search engines. Using this tool correctly, you can ensure that your site takes its rightful place in the search results.

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