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Table of Contents

What are canonical links?
When should canonical links be used?
What role do canonical links play in online shops?
Do canonical links have an impact on SEO?

What are canonical links?

Canonical links, also known as "canonicals," are HTML attributes used in the header of a website to tell search engines which URL is the primary source for the content. They serve to avoid duplicates or similar content on multiple pages and ensure that search engines and users see the correct page.

When should canonical links be used?

A common use case for canonical links is when there are multiple URL variants of a page, such as with or without "www" or with different protocols (HTTP vs. HTTPS). A canonical link can be used to specify the primary URL so that search engines do not view multiple versions as duplicates and ensure that only one version is scanned and displayed in search results.

Another use case is when a page is available on multiple domain names or subdomains. Here, a canonical link can be used to specify which domain or subdomain is the primary source for the content.

Canonical links can also be used when a page is available for multiple countries or regions and there is a separate URL for each region. In this case, a canonical link can be used to specify which region is the primary target audience.

What role do canonical links play in online shops?

In online stores, canonical links can play an important role in avoiding duplicates and similar content and ensuring that search engines show users the correct product page. For example, there may be multiple URL variants of a product page when filtering and sorting within a category. In this case, a canonical link can be used to specify which URL is the primary source for the content.

Canonical links can also be used when a product is available on multiple category or landing pages. 

Do canonical links have an impact on SEO?

It is important to note that canonical links do not have a direct impact on search engine rankings, but they can help avoid penalties for duplicate content and similar content.

In summary, canonical links are HTML attributes used in the header of a website to tell search engines which URL is the primary source for the content. They are used to avoid duplicate or similar content on multiple pages and to ensure that search engines and users see the correct page. Canonical links have no direct impact on rankings, but they can help improve usability and content relevance.

Want to generate your own canonical tags? Try ourCanonical Tag Generator.