If the same content appears at multiple addresses, the canonical tag prevents duplicate content issues. The SEO value then ends up at a single address.
What does this mean in practice?
The canonical tag (rel="canonical") is a hint in a page's code. It tells search engines which URL is the 'original' when the same or nearly the same content appears at multiple addresses. For example, with parameters in the URL, with and without a trailing slash, or as a print version.
Why does this matter for your business?
Without a canonical tag, Google decides for itself which URL to show, and the SEO value can be split across multiple copies. A correct tag bundles links and signals at one fixed address.
Examples and best practices
- Have every page refer to itself as canonical.
- Pages with filters or parameters (such as ?sort=) point to the base version.
- Don't combine canonical and noindex on the same page.
- Check in Search Console which URL Google has chosen as canonical.
How we do it at Ikoon
Ikoon websites automatically get a correct canonical tag on every page, as part of the standard SEO structure. That also applies if you choose an Extra language version. So you don't have to worry about it.