1. The canonical tag is applied to the duplicate content URLs. It is to be placed in thetag of the duplicate pages. You are simply adding the preferred version of the URL. You are instructing the engines that these URLs should direct to the preferred URL.

2. Google (and the other major search engines) will understand that the duplicates (with the canonical tag) all refer to the canonical URL (the URL that you want to be the authority that visitors will see.)

3. Page Rank will be transferred as well (according to

)

4. You can use relative links in the canonical tag. For example, product.php?item=12345 as opposed to http://www.your-site.com/product.php?item=12345

5. You can specify a URL that redirects as a canonical URL

6. You cannot use the canonical tag to suggest a canonical tag on a completey different domain.

7. Google does take canonical suggestions into account across sub-domains.

Remembering these seven items can help ensure that you are leverging the canonical tag properly and that you are letting the engines know what URL it is that you want to be communicated.

Copyright 2008 -

.