Adding Canonical URLs in WordPress: A Simple Solution to a Tricky Problem

If you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head over canonical URLs in WordPress, you’re not alone. It’s one of those things that sounds dead important (and it is!), but when you try to figure out how to add one, it can feel like navigating a maze with no map.

Table Of Contents

• What’s a Canonical URL, Anyway?
• Why is Adding a Canonical URL So Confusing?
• The Easiest Way to Add a Canonical URL
• Other Plugin Options
• To Sum Up

So, let’s break it down – what a canonical URL is, why you need it, why it’s such a faff to add one in WordPress, and the easiest way to sort it out.

What’s a Canonical URL, Anyway?

Before we get into how to add a canonical tag in WordPress, let’s make sure we know what we’re talking about. A canonical URL tells search engines, “hey, this is the main version of this page.” See, sometimes you end up with different URLs that lead to the same content (think print-friendly versions, product filters, or even a page sitting in multiple categories). Without a canonical URL to your WordPress site, Google might get confused and think you’ve got duplicate content on your site, which isn’t good for your rankings.

Why is Adding a Canonical URL So Confusing?

Now, you’d think adding a canonical URL to your WordPress site would be straightforward, right? Just a bit of code here or a checkbox there. But nah, WordPress doesn’t make it as easy as we’d like. There’s no built-in button to simply add a canonical tag in WordPress, and if you’re not comfortable messing about with code, it can quickly become a right hassle.

You’ve got a few options, but they’re not all user-friendly. You could:

• Edit the header.php file – but this requires knowing your way around code and your theme files, which can be a risky business if you don’t back things up.
• Use plugins – but not all plugins are created equal, and finding the right one can be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
• SEO tools – some do the job for you, but again, not everyone knows which tools to use or how to configure them.

PLUGINS - The Easiest Way to Add a Canonical URL

Right, let’s get to the good bit. If you’re after a simple way to add a canonical URL tag in WordPress without diving into code, the best solution is to use an SEO plugin. One of the most popular and user-friendly is Yoast SEO. Using Yoast SEO isn’t just the easiest way to add a canonical URL to a WordPress website, it also helps you manage loads of other important SEO bits, like meta descriptions, breadcrumbs, and XML sitemaps. It’s a one-stop shop for making sure your WordPress site is ticking all the SEO boxes, without needing to mess around in the code.

Here’s how you do it in just a few steps:

Step 1: Install Yoast SEO Plugin

First things first, you’ll need to install the Yoast SEO plugin if you haven’t already. It’s free and available in the WordPress plugin repository.

1. Go to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. In the search bar, type “Yoast SEO”.
4. Click Install Now and then Activate.

Step 2: Edit the Page or Post

Once Yoast is installed and activated, head over to the page or post where you want to add a canonical URL.

1. Open the page or post in WordPress (go to Posts or Pages and select the one you want).
2. Scroll down to the Yoast SEO box under the main content area.

Step 3: Add Your Canonical URL To Your WordPress website

In the Yoast SEO box, click on the Advanced tab (the little cog icon).

1. You’ll see a field labeled “Canonical URL”.
2. Simply paste your preferred canonical URL into this field.

For example, if you’ve got a product page with different URL versions like example.com/product and example.com/product?sort=price, you’d enter the main URL (the one you want Google to prioritise) in this field.

Step 4: Save Your Changes

Once you’ve added your canonical URL, scroll back up and click Update or Publish to save your changes.

And that’s it – job’s a good’un!

Other Plugin Options

If for some reason Yoast doesn’t float your boat, there are other plugins that do the job too, like Rank Math or All in One SEO Pack. They offer similar features and make it easy to add canonical URLs without diving into theme files.

How to Manually Add a Canonical Tag to Your WordPress Site

If you want to ensure that search engines recognise the preferred version of your page and avoid any issues with duplicate content, adding a canonical tag is an important step. While there are plugins that can automatically add this tag for you, you can also do it yourself if you’re comfortable editing your theme’s files. Here's a simple, step-by-step guide on how to manually add a canonical tag to the <head> section of your theme's header.php file.

What You’ll Need:

• Access to your WordPress website’s files (via your WordPress dashboard or FTP client).
• Basic understanding of how to edit theme files.

Steps to Add a Canonical Tag Manually:

1. Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard: First, log into your WordPress site and go to your dashboard.
2. Navigate to Your Theme Files:
   • From the WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance > Theme Editor.
   • On the right side, you'll see a list of theme files. Look for the header.php file. This file contains the <head> section, where we will insert the canonical tag.
3. Locate the <head> Section: In the header.php file, scroll down until you find the opening <head> tag. This is where all the meta information, links, and other elements related to your page's head section are stored.
4. Insert the Canonical Tag: Just before the closing </head> tag (usually near the end of the file), add the following line of code:htmlCopy code<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.yourwebsite.com/preferred-page-url/" />
   • Replace https://www.yourwebsite.com/preferred-page-url/ with the URL of the page that you want to be treated as the main, original version of the content. This could be the URL of the page you're editing or a different version if the page content is duplicated elsewhere on your site.
5. Save Changes: After adding the canonical tag, click the Update File button to save your changes. Your site will now include the canonical tag in the <head> section of the page.

How Do I Check if My Canonical Tags Are Working Properly?

Once you’ve added the canonical tag to your WordPress site, it’s important to check that it’s been correctly implemented. This ensures that search engines can properly recognise the preferred version of your pages and avoid issues with duplicate content. Here’s how you can check if the canonical tag is working as it should:

1. View the Page Source in Your Browser:
   • Open the page you want to check in your web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, etc.).
   • Right-click anywhere on the page (but not on an image or link).
   • From the menu that appears, select View Page Source. This will open a new tab showing the raw HTML code of the page.
2. Look for the Canonical Tag:
   • Once you’re viewing the page’s source code, press Ctrl + F (on Windows) or Cmd + F (on Mac) to bring up the search bar.
   • In the search bar, type <link rel="canonical" to quickly find the canonical tag.
   • You should see something like this:htmlCopy code<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.yourwebsite.com/preferred-page-url/" />
     • Ensure the URL in the href attribute matches the preferred or "original" version of your content. This is the URL that you want search engines to index.
3. Check the Head Section:
   • The canonical tag should be placed within the <head> section of the page, typically near the other meta tags. If you find it there, that means it's correctly positioned.
4. Use SEO Tools to Audit Your Pages: While manually checking your canonical tags in the page source is helpful, using SEO tools can provide a more comprehensive analysis of your website. Here are a couple of popular tools that can help:
   • Google Search Console: This free tool from Google allows you to monitor your site’s performance and check for issues, including duplicate content or incorrect canonical tags. To check for canonical issues, go to the Coverage report and look for any warnings related to duplicate content or missing canonical tags.
   • Ahrefs: This powerful SEO tool helps you analyse your website’s backlinks and technical SEO. Ahrefs’ Site Audit feature will scan your site and identify any issues related to canonical tags, such as incorrect or missing tags on pages.

To Sum Up

Adding a canonical URL in WordPress might sound like a bit of a faff, but with the right plugin, it’s actually dead simple. Yoast SEO makes the whole process painless – no coding, no stress, just a couple of clicks and you’re sorted. So, if you’re trying to avoid duplicate content penalties and keep your SEO on point, there’s no excuse not to get your canonical URLs sorted today.

Now get to it, and give Google what it needs to boost your rankings!

FAQs About Adding Canonical Tags in WordPress

Canonical tags are an essential SEO tool used to prevent issues with duplicate content, helping search engines determine the preferred version of a page. Here are some common FAQs about adding canonical tags in WordPress:

1. Why Should I Add a Canonical Tag in WordPress?

If you have duplicate or very similar content across multiple pages or posts, search engines might struggle to decide which page should be ranked. This could result in your site being penalised for duplicate content. Adding a canonical tag ensures that search engines know which version of the page is the main one, helping to improve SEO and prevent any negative impacts on rankings.

2. Do I Need to Add Canonical Tags to Every Page?

Not every page needs a canonical tag. Typically, you only need to add canonical tags to pages where you have duplicate or similar content. For example, product pages with different filters or pagination might need a canonical tag to point to the main product page. Pages like blog posts, landing pages, and unique content generally don’t require a canonical tag unless there’s duplicate content.

3. What Happens if I Don’t Add a Canonical Tag?

If you don’t add a canonical tag, search engines might index multiple versions of the same content, which can lead to duplicate content issues. This can cause your site to be penalised in search engine rankings or reduce your chances of ranking at all. By adding the tag, you signal to search engines which page should be ranked.

4. Can Canonical Tags Help with Pagination or Filters?

Yes, canonical tags are particularly helpful for pagination (e.g., for category pages or blog archives with multiple pages) or filtering options (e.g., different product variants). By adding canonical tags to these pages, you ensure that the search engine treats the main page as the primary version, rather than indexing every single filtered or paginated page as a separate one.

4. Can I Use Canonical Tags for External Websites?

Yes, you can use canonical tags to point to an external website’s URL if you’re republishing content or using content that is also available elsewhere. However, this should be done carefully and in accordance with SEO best practices to avoid any issues with your rankings or the other website’s rankings.

6. Will Using Canonical Tags Automatically Improve My Rankings?

While adding canonical tags helps search engines understand which version of a page to rank, it doesn’t automatically boost your rankings. It’s just a tool to prevent penalties from duplicate content. To improve rankings, you’ll still need to focus on other SEO elements, such as creating high-quality content, optimising page speed, and building backlinks.

7. Can I Overuse Canonical Tags?

Overusing canonical tags can lead to confusion for search engines. They should only be used where necessary—when there is genuinely duplicate content. If you add canonical tags incorrectly or to pages that don't need them, it can cause search engines to ignore certain pages, potentially hindering your SEO performance.

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By using canonical tags correctly, you can prevent duplicate content issues and ensure that your WordPress site’s SEO remains in good standing. Whether you use a plugin or add them manually, canonical tags play an important role in guiding search engines to index the correct version of your pages, ultimately supporting better visibility and search rankings.

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