@terrence
Fixing canonical issues in ExpressionEngine involves several steps to ensure that your website's URLs are properly configured to avoid duplicate content and improve search engine optimization (SEO). Here’s a guide to address these issues:
Canonical issues occur when multiple URLs point to the same or similar content, leading search engines to potentially penalize your site for duplicate content. The goal is to specify a preferred URL (canonical URL) for search engines to index.
ExpressionEngine does not automatically add canonical tags, so you will need to implement this manually.
Steps to Add Canonical Tags:
If you're using the Structure add-on, it inherently handles page routing, making it easier to define canonical URLs based on the page structure configured within the add-on.
Ensure your URL structure is consistent and set up proper redirects for non-canonical URLs.
Ensure all URLs use a consistent protocol (typically HTTPS) by setting up redirects as needed.
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RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.example.com/$1 [L,R=301] |
Regularly update your XML sitemap to reflect the canonical URLs. This assists search engines in identifying the correct pages to index.
Consider using SEO-related add-ons available for ExpressionEngine which can automate or simplify the process of managing canonical tags.
Use Google Search Console to monitor your site's performance and identify any indexing issues caused by canonical mistakes.
After implementing canonical tags and redirects, use tools like Screaming Frog or Google’s URL Inspection Tool to verify that the preferred URLs are correctly indexed.
By following these steps, you can resolve canonical issues in ExpressionEngine, helping to ensure a single, authoritative version of each URL for search engines to index.