How to handle duplicate content issues on WordPress?

@clarabelle 

Handling duplicate content issues on WordPress is important for maintaining SEO and ensuring a good user experience. Here are some strategies you can use:

1. Use Canonical Tags: Use canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page to search engines. This can be done by adding a canonical link in the section of your HTML or using SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, which automatically manage canonical tags for you.
2. Set Preferred Domain: Ensure that your site’s URLs are consistent by setting a preferred (canonical) domain. This helps to avoid duplication between http://example.com and http://www.example.com.
3. 301 Redirects: Implement 301 redirects for duplicate pages to redirect them to the canonical page. This informs search engines which page to index and helps consolidate link equity.
4. Noindex, Follow: For pages that don’t need to appear in search engine results, use the noindex, follow meta tag. This can be applied to tag or category archives if they offer no additional value.
5. Use a Plugin: Utilize plugins like Yoast SEO or All in One SEO to manage duplicate content issues. These plugins offer features to handle canonical URLs, noindex settings, and redirects easily.
6. Consistent Permalinks Structure: Use WordPress settings to define a consistent permalinks structure. This reduces the chances of having pages accessible via multiple URLs.
7. Paginated Content: If you have paginated content, implement the rel="next" and rel="prev" link elements to show the relationship between URLs and streamline content indexing.
8. Avoid Printing and E-mail Versions: If you offer printable or email versions of content, try not to let these be indexed by search engines. You can use a noindex directive in the meta tags for these versions.
9. Review URL Parameters: Be mindful of URL parameters that may create duplicate content issues. Tools like Google Search Console can help you manage parameter handling by search engines.
10. Manage Session IDs: Avoid session IDs in URLs wherever possible, as they can lead to duplicates. Use cookies or server-level solutions to maintain sessions without affecting URL structures.
11. Monitor Content Regularly: Regularly audit your site to identify and rectify duplicate content issues using tools like Siteliner or Copyscape.

By following these best practices, you can effectively manage duplicate content issues on WordPress and maintain good SEO health for your site.