So you think you know canonical tags - Sean Butcher Brighton SEO presentation

Sean Butcher

I eat lots of

burgers (often for

free)!(Sneaky link: www.beersandburgers.co.uk)

#BrightonSEO@seanbutcher

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk

<link rel=“canonical” href=“http://www.exam

ple.com” />@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

About the canonical tag

@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO


Things to consider



Things to consider

Alternative methods@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

“If your website generates and displays the same (or very similar)

content on multiple URLs, the canonical tag could be used to

bucket them together and assign one master (canonical) version.”

(https://moz.com/blog/complete-guide-to-rel-canonical-how-to-and-why-not)

http://example.comhttp://www.example.comhttp://www.example.com/

http://www.example.com/index


http://example.com

http://example.com

http://www.example.com


https://example.com

https://example.com

https://www.example.com


http://example.comhttp://www.example.comhttp://www.example.com/

http://www.example.com/index


http://example.com

http://example.com



https://example.com

https://example.com



https://www.example.com/page/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=easterpromo&utm_medium

=cpc

https://www.example.com/page@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

https://www.example.com/awesome-article

https://www.example.com/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=easter_promotion&utm_medium=cpc







https://www.example.com/shoes/?colour-brown&size=

9&price=under-40

https://www.example.com/shoes/?colour-brown


https://m.example.com

https://m.example.com/hats

https://example.com

https://example.com/hats








Other options:


Redirects (301s)

NoIndex

Parameter exclusion@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

So why use a

canonical?

#BrightonSEO@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO


Development resource

Server load?


Make other versions accessible?

https://moz.com/blog/arent-301s-302s-canonicals-all-basically-the-same-whiteboard-friday




Things to consider

@seanbutcher

Make sure the canonical version IS

the canonical version@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

Canonical DOES NOT point to a 404/301/302


The canonical version is listed in your XML sitemap


Use absolute, NOT relative URLs


Internally link to canonical

URL@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

Related to indexation - not crawling



It’s a HINT, not a DIRECTIVE


@seanbutcher

“DYK the rel-canonical is a

hint, not a directive. It’s a very strong hint,

but may still be outweighed by other

signals.”Gary Illyes - Mar 23rd 2017

More than one canonical tag

on a page@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

The canonical tag isn’t in the

<head>@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

Most importantly...



For a canonical to be effective, it should be used on highly similar content


3 canonical experiments

on burger blog



http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/burger-review-7bone-southampton/

Ranked #5 for ‘review of

7bone southampton’


http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/review-of-the-browns-burger-browns-brasserie-bar-in-o

xford/

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/burger-review-7bone-southampton/

<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/review-of-the-browns-burger-brown

s-brasserie-bar-in-oxford//" />@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

No change in URLs


Now rank #6 (-1) for ‘review

of 7bone southampton’


http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/review-of-five-guys-reading-oracle/


Ranked #3 for ‘review

of five guys

reading’


http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/five-guys-burger-review-revisited/

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/review-of-five-guys-reading-oracle/

<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/five-guys-burger-review-revisited/"

/>@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

No change in URLs


Now rank #4 (-1) for ‘review of five guys reading’

@seanbutcher

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/sunday-lunchtime-treat-oxfords-atomic-burger/

Ranked #20 for

‘review of atomic burger oxford’

@seanbutcher

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/review-atomic-burger-oxford/

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/sunday-lunchtime-treat-oxfords-atomic-

burger/

<link rel="canonical" href="http://www.beersandburgers.co.

uk/review-atomic-burger-oxford/" />


URL has changed


Now rank #11 (+9)

for ‘review of atomic

burger oxford’

URL only changed when content matched



Improvement in ranking



Improvement in rankingConsolidation of two pages

Freshness?Better keyword targeting?


Alternative methods

Non-HTML files


PDF accessed from multiple URLs (e.g. www./non www.)


Duplicated with HTML page



“Users don’t always like being sent to a PDF. If you can make your content in

a Web-Native format, that’s often a little more

useful to users.”

- Matt Cuttshttps://www.stonetemple.com/matt-cutts-interviewed-

by-eric-enge-2/

HTTP header support launched in 2011 by

Google -Still massively

underusedhttps://webmasters.googleblog.com/2011/06/supporting-relcanonical-http-headers.html



Screaming Frog #2 for ‘search engine optimisation’



“Google’s made a change to try & get indexed. Looks like they added a HTTP canonical

to their PDF. Currently still canonical”


Screaming Frog #1 (above Google)

Use of a 302 redirect to

location


http://searchengineland.com/googles-seo-guide-search-rankings-hijacked-270362



@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO@seanbutcher

We may (almost definitely) want to use

this guy

Via .htaccess<Files "guide.pdf">Header add Link ‘<https://example.com/guide>; rel="canonical’</Files>


Via .htaccess<Files "cheeseburger.jpg">Header add Link ‘<https://example.com/cheeseburger-review>; rel="canonical’</Files>



http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/IMG_20160807_1402

00-1.jpg

http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/burger-craft-exmouth-arms-

review/


Advanced methods

Rewrite ^(.+)\.pdf /pdf.php?file=$1

RewriteRule ([^/]+)\.pdf$ - [E=FILENAME:$1]

Resources: https://moz.com/blog/how-to-advanced-relcanonical-http-headers

https://moz.com/blog/htaccess-file-snippets-for-seos


Check your HTTP headers:Google Chrome - InspectFirefox - Live HTTP HeadersWeb SnifferScreaming Frog


https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/live-http-headers/

http://web-sniffer.net/

http://web-sniffer.net/

URL view - HTTP Canonical

URL view - HTTP Canonical

Directives tab

Paginated series



http://www.example.com/jobs

http://www.example.com/jobs?page=2

http://www.example.com/jobs/?page=3

<link rel=“canonical” href=“http://www.example.com

/jobs” />




<link rel=“canonical” href=“http://www.example.com

/jobs” />

“Before the introduction of pagination support, this method

was used to consolidate all authority across the set of pages to

the first page, but Google now advise against this method.”

(https://www.deepcrawl.com/blog/best-practice/pagination-for-seo-as-easy-as-1-or-2-or-3/)


https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2013/04/5-common-mistakes-with-relcanonical.html







For a canonical to be effective, it should be used on highly similar content

@seanbutcher

Two options:


Two options:

Create a ‘View All’ page - canonicalise





<link rel=“canonical” href=“http://www.example.com/jobs?view-all”/>

“User testing has taught us that

searchers much prefer the view-all, single-page version

of content over a component page”

https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2011/09/view-all-in-search-results.html




Could cause other

issues (e.g. speed)

Two options:

Create a ‘View All’ page - canonicalise

Use paginated series markup





<link rel="next" href="http://www.example.com/jo

bs?page=2” />





<link rel="prev" href="http://www.example.com/jobs”

/>



<link rel="prev" href="http://www.example.com/jobs”

/><link rel="next"

href="http://www.example.com/jobs?page=3” />


“If you choose to include (paginated markup) you’re giving Google a strong hint

that you’d like us to:https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2011/09/pagination-with-relnext-and-relprev.html


1) Consolidate indexing properties, such as links,

from the component pages/URLs to the series.

@seanbutcher

https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2011/09/pagination-with-relnext-and-relprev.html

#BrightonSEO

2) Send users to the most relevant page/URL—typically the first page of the series.”

@seanbutcher

https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2011/09/pagination-with-relnext-and-relprev.html

#BrightonSEO

https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/139066






<link rel=“canonical” href=“http://www.example.com/jobs?

page=2” />








Cross domain canonicals


https://www.loveknitting.com/lady-bird-lady-bug-baby-photo-prop-cro

chet-pattern-by-itchy-crochet

https://www.lovecrochet.com/lady-bird-lady-bug-baby-photo-prop-cro

chet-pattern-by-itchy-crochet

@seanbutcher

Duplicate pages not being indexed


Needed to keep both sites


Added cross-domain canonical from Love Knitting to Love

Crochet content




http://www.primelocation.com/

to-rent/

http://primelocation.telegraph.

co.uk/to-rent/


http://primelocation.telegraph.co.

uk/to-rent/details/39176066

http://www.primelocation.com/to-rent/details/3917

6066@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO



DA of 94


DA of 94 No PA / links



PA of 46


PA of 46 Links reported

No sign of any

“traditional” backlinks from The Telegraph

No sign of any

“traditional” backlinks from The Telegraph

Can this be used to our

advantage?@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

Canonical experiment


http://www.beersandburgers.co.uk/why-seo-is-like-a-good-burger/

https://www.bluearray.co.uk/why-seo-is-like-a-good-burger/


@seanbutcher

Day 1-Blue Array Indexed


BA ranking #1 for ‘seo

burgers’

Day 2 -Beers & Burgers Indexed - Mixed

SERPs@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

B&B ranking #1 for ‘seo

burgers’


BA ranking #3 for

‘burger seo’

After much chopping and changing, by..


Day 14 - Blue Array established

on main KWs @seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

All well and good...


B&B ranking #8 for ‘SEO

beers’

BA ranking #5 for ‘SEO is a broad specialism’

Day 18 - Canonical added from BA to B&B


Day 25 - Canonical takes effect (eventually)


‘SEO beers’

+4 places

‘SEO is a broad specialism’ + 4 places

@seanbutcher

Use sparingly!

#BrightonSEO

Sites/content should be closely related


Sites/content should be closely related

Establish relevant site partnerships


Summary


Canonicals work on highly similar content


Use HTTP headers for PDF and other

non-HTML formats@seanbutcher #BrightonSEO

Use paginated markup alongside

self-referencing canonicals


Make use (carefully) of canonicals with

content syndication


Find slides at:https://www.slideshare.

net/SeanButcher1


Thanks for listening!


BlueArray.co.uk | 0800 0119 123

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So you think you know canonical tags - Sean Butcher Brighton SEO presentation