Okay, so we all know that duplicate content is bad for your search engine optimization (SEO), right?
If you didn't know that already, Google has no-doubt been boxing your website like a heavy bag in search rankings, so please do an immediate site analysis.
Having multiple pages with similar content can hurt your SEO, but sometimes, you need to have multiple pages that have similar content. So, what can you do to avoid getting dinged by Google or other search engines and hurting your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs)?
It's time to learn about canonical tags for URLs. Unlock the power of this advanced SEO practice in HubSpot to enhance your site’s visibility and avoid some common pitfalls of abusing them.
What Is a Canonical Tag and Why Is It Important to Site SEO?
A canonical tag is a piece of code in your website page's <head> section that is used to tell search engine crawlers which pages are original content and which ones are duplicates of the original page. This is useful for maintaining the authority and SERP ranking of the original page and avoiding penalties for having a duplicate page elsewhere on the site.
The code of a canonical tag looks something like this:
<link rel="canonical" href="https.sampleurl.com" />
This nifty piece of HTML code tells search engines which version of a webpage is the 'master' or 'canonical' page, directing their attention to the original content so they aren't confused by duplicate pages.
Why all the fuss? Without canonical tags, search engines might get confused by similar or duplicate pages, diluting your SEO efforts and scattering your hard-earned search engine ranking. Instead of wading through swaths of identical content, canonical tags help search engine crawlers find and rank your unique content.
By setting a canonical tag, you consolidate your SEO clout. This helps ensure your site's visibility isn't compromised by doppelgänger content.
Canonical Tags Are for More Than Just Duplicate Content
You might be wondering "What if I don't have any duplicate pages on my website? Do I still need to use canonical tags?" The short answer is "yes." The thing is, as Moz explains it, "we, as humans, tend to think of a page as a concept... For search engines, though, every unique URL is a separate page."
So, let's say you have a homepage of www.exampleurl.com. But, you have other URLs that lead to the homepage like:
- https://www.exampleurl.com
- HTTP://www.exampleurl.com
- www.exampleurl.com?cta-tracking12345abcdf
To you or me, all of these URLs are effectively the same page, because we'd be taken to the same destination and see the same content. To a search engine crawler bot, however, these are all different pages that have identical content.
How Proper Canonical Tag Usage Boosts Your SEO Performance
So, what are the benefits of using canonical tags?
When you mark a page as the canonical version of that page, you're telling search engines which page should take the lead. This prevents self-competition and ensures that link equity (the value passed through hyperlinks) is funneled to the designated page, fortifying its SEO standing.
Properly used, canonical tags can help your pages rank higher on search engine results pages. They ensure search engine users can easily find relevant and valuable content on your site. This helps maximize your site's visibility and reach.
How to Implement Canonical Tags in HubSpot
Fear not, intrepid HubSpot user, for adding a canonical tag doesn't require an advanced coding degree. As a matter of fact, on HubSpot, when you create a new blog post or web page, the default settings set the URL for that new page or blog post as canonical without you having to do a thing!
Of course, you can manually change this setting if you need to or add canonical tags to individual posts and pages if you so desire.
Managing Canonical URL Settings in HubSpot
- Go to the Settings menu (click the gear icon in the upper right of your main HubSpot nav menu)
- In the left sidebar menu under the "Tools" header, click on the "Content" dropdown and select "Pages"
- Click on the "SEO & Crawlers" tab
- Click on the settings for adding canonical tags that you want under the "pages and blog posts" header
Viola! You have set your canonical URL defaults!
Adding/Editing a Canonical URL in a HubSpot Page
Need to modify a canonical tag for a particular post or page? Need to remove or add a tag? Here's how you can do it:
- Go to the content you want to modify—this can be done in several ways:
- Using the HubSpot widget that appears on the page when you're logged into HubSpot while on that page of your site
- Navigating to the "Content" section of your HubSpot nav menu and:
- Clicking on "Website Pages"
- Clicking on "Blog"
- Clicking on "Landing Pages"
- Use the search bar to search for the name of the web page, landing page, or blog article you want to modify
- Hover over the page or post and click "Edit"
- In the content editor, click on the "Settings" dropdown and select the "Advanced" option
- Go to the "Customize canonical URL" field in the dialog box and enter a canonical URL for the page/post content
Remember, each page should point to the most authoritative version. HubSpot makes it a breeze, so even if you're more poet than programmer, you can still master the art of canonicalization.
Best Practices for Using Canonical Tags on Your HubSpot Site
To wield the power of canonical tags like a seasoned SEO expert, there are a few best practices to keep in mind.
- Ensure that your canonical URLs are absolute paths, not relative ones. This means including the 'http://' or 'https://' part, along with the domain name, to avoid any confusion.
- Maintain consistency. Make sure to use the same canonical URL across all versions of the content to solidify their relationship in the eyes of search engines.
- Regularly review your canonical tags to verify they're still relevant and accurate. Sometimes, the landscape of your website changes, and your canonical directives should adapt accordingly.
- Consider these tags as living elements of your site. Evolve your canonical tag use with your content to maintain SEO harmony.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them When Using Canonical Tags
While canonical tags can be your SEO superheroes, they can also be your kryptonite if misused. Some common pitfalls or canonical tag mistakes that you might encounter include:
- Not putting canonical tags in the head of the page code. When adding a canonical tag to the code of a website page, it's easy to make the mistake of adding it to the body section instead of the head section of the page code. This, keeps crawlers from seeing it during a check of the <head> code, so it defeats the purpose of using the tag.
- Using relative URLs instead of absolute URLs in canonical tags. Here's a common issue that Google Search Central made note of. while relative URLs are great for not having to constantly set up redirects every time your site structure changes, they aren't so good for canonical tags. For canonical tags, having the entire path spelled out in the tag is important—i.e., you should use https:www.exampleurl.com instead of just exampleurl.com in your canonical tags. Why? Because a relative link doesn't tell the crawler which version of a page is actually the canonical version you want to prioritize. This confuses the crawler and hurts the SEO benefits of canonicalization.
- Canonical tag typos. Sometimes, when copy/pasting a URL into the canonical tag, a digit might get cut off—such as accidentally pasting ttps:exampleurl.com instead of https:exampleurl.com. When creating canonical tags manually, be sure to check the URL for these simple mistakes.
- Duplicating canonical URLs. A common pitfall is setting multiple canonical URLs for the same content, which can send mixed signals to search engines and weaken your SEO strength. Imagine trying to follow a group of friends giving different directions to the same destination—you'd be lost!
- Using canonical URLs to cover up duplicate content. Another misstep is using canonical tags as a band-aid for poor site architecture. They should not be used to mask systemic issues with duplicate content, but as a strategic tool to guide search engines to your authoritative pages.
Use them wisely, and remember that the best SEO strategy combines technical savvy with a dash of creativity and a whole lot of common sense.
Need Help Setting Up Your HubSpot Website?
Reach out to the experts at Bluleadz to schedule a website design, migration, or optimization discussion. We have years of experience in helping organizations of all sizes and industries optimize their HubSpot websites to rank higher in SERPs to drive traffic, leads, and revenue.
Douglas Phillips
Former military brat, graduated from Leilehua High School in Wahiawa, Hawaii in 2001. After earning my Bachelor's in English/Professional Writing, took on a job as a writer here at Bluleadz.