What is a Canonical Tag in SEO? Case Study : News Portal and Aggregator
The canonical tag, also known as a “rel=canonical,” is essential for managing duplicate content and ensuring that search engines understand the preferred version of a webpage.
What Is a Canonical Tag?
A canonical tag is a piece of HTML code placed in the <head> section of a webpage. It tells search engines which version of a URL should be considered the “master” or authoritative version when multiple pages contain identical or highly similar content. In simple terms, the canonical tag prevents duplicate content issues by pointing to the original or preferred page.
For example, a website may have the same product page accessible through different URLs:
https://example.com/product?id=123https://example.com/product/shoeshttps://www.example.com/product/shoes?color=red
While these URLs may show the same content, search engines could treat them as separate pages. Without a canonical tag, this could dilute the ranking signals. By using a canonical tag, website owners can instruct search engines to treat one version (usually the cleanest URL) as the main source.
Case Study : Canonical Tag in News Portal and Aggregator
Canonical tag in news portals are very important because news portals usually have multiple pages. In some cases, news portals have similar content.
Canonical tag helps Google to identify which original or authentic page or article they should index when the news portals cooperate and distribute their contents to news aggregators like Line Today, R+, Google News, etc. News aggregators usually take news portals’ sitemaps, then show in the article their pages.
If the canonical tag in the news aggregators direct to original article link in the news portals, the news portals will get additional traffic called referral traffic. And Google recognize that the original content come from the news portals.
But, if the canonical tag in the news aggregators page direct to article link of the aggregators, Google will recognize the content in the news aggregators page is duplicate content. Google identify the aggregators just copy paste the content of the news portals and claim it as the news aggregators’ original content.
For example, a news portal website may have the same content with a news aggreagator through different URLs:
https://newsportal.com/fc-barcelona-beat-liverpoolhttps://aggregator.com/fc-barcelona-beat-liverpool
The aggregator take sitemap of news portal to show the content from the news portal automatically in aggregator page. In the page of aggregator, the canonical tag should be:
- <link rel=”canonical” href=”
https://newsportal.com/fc-barcelona-beat-liverpool>”
If the canonical tag in the aggregator page like this:
- <link rel=”canonical” href=”
https://aggregator.com/fc-barcelona-beat-liverpool”>
Google will recognize that the original article in the aggregator come from the aggregator web. Because the content is 100% same, Google know that the aggregator duplicate the content without confirming the original source in the canonical tag.
So, canonical tag is very important for news portal website and other websites. Google will recognize which article is original and duplicate.
Why Is the Canonical Tag Important for SEO?
1. Avoids Duplicate Content Issues
Duplicate content is a common challenge for large websites, especially e-commerce platforms with multiple filters, categories, and URL parameters. Search engines may struggle to decide which version should rank, or worse, they may lower the ranking of all versions. Canonical tags help consolidate signals to a single preferred page.
2. Consolidates Link Equity
Backlinks are a key ranking factor. When multiple versions of a page exist, incoming links may be spread across them, reducing overall authority. A canonical tag ensures that all link equity is credited to the designated canonical page, strengthening its position in search results.
3. Improves Crawl Efficiency
Search engines have limited crawl budgets, meaning they only crawl a certain number of pages on a site during a given time. Duplicate or near-duplicate pages waste that budget. Canonical tags direct crawlers to the main page, helping search engines index the most important content faster.
4. Enhances User Experience
By ensuring that search engines rank the correct version, users are more likely to land on the most relevant and optimized page. This reduces confusion and supports a smoother user journey.
Best Practices for Using Canonical Tags
- Always use absolute URLs. A canonical tag should include the full path (e.g.,
https://www.example.com/page) rather than relative paths. - Avoid self-referencing mistakes. If a page is the preferred version, it should include a self-referencing canonical tag.
- Don’t confuse canonical with redirects. Canonical tags are suggestions for search engines, not directives like 301 redirects.
- Be consistent. Ensure internal links, sitemaps, and canonical tags all point to the same preferred version.
In the world of search engine optimization (SEO), one of the most overlooked yet powerful elements is the canonical tag. Many website owners, content creators, and digital marketers focus on keywords, backlinks, or site speed, but often forget the technical side of SEO that plays a critical role in how search engines interpret content.
Conclusion
The canonical tag may not be as visible as keywords or meta descriptions, but its function is vital in modern SEO. By preventing duplicate content, consolidating link equity, and improving crawl efficiency, canonical tags give websites a cleaner structure in the eyes of search engines.
For businesses and media outlets aiming for stronger visibility online, properly implementing canonical tags should be a top technical SEO priority.
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