SEO
How to Use Canonical Tags Correctly
Canonical tags solve the duplicate content problem — when the same page is reachable via multiple URLs (with/without trailing slash, http/https, www, query parameters). They consolidate ranking signals into one canonical URL.
Basic syntax
in the. Always use absolute URLs. Always self-canonicalize on the canonical URL itself (don't omit the tag on the canonical page).
Common mistakes
Pointing canonical to a non-existent or 404 URL. Using relative URLs. Different canonicals on different paginations of the same content. Canonicalizing http:// when site is https://.
Cross-domain canonicals
If you republish content on Medium or LinkedIn set canonical to your original URL. Most major platforms support this. It tells Google your version is canonical.
Pagination
Each paginated page should self-canonicalize (page 2 → page 2 not page 1). Use rel= prev /rel= next if you want but Google deprecated them — prioritize self-canonical + good internal linking.
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