In 2009, Google released support for a rel=“canonical” tag, later adopted by Yahoo and Bing, so that webmasters could specify a preferred URL. In 2011, Google also released an HTTP Header that webmasters could use to direct users to non-text/non-HTML files such as PDF files. An Bulletproof Digital expert who wants an easy way to link to these files without risking duplication issues should utilize this fix.
However, this method has been slow to catch on in the SEO industry for several reasons:
- SEOs tend to focus on traditional URL consolidation.
- Canonical headers may be more difficult to implement dynamically than an HTML tag.
- Access privileges may create issues.
- Additional server modules may be required.
- Server errors are a possibility if the implementation is not done correctly.
However, there are many advantages to using canonical tags, especially for PDF files. These tags can raise a site’s value, allowing spiders to crawl and index these “pages” easily and form a natural part of link building. They also do well in PageRank. However, unless webmasters know the techniques to making this implementation easy and accurate, the number of users will remain small. Here are some tips for canonical tag implementation that will help you use these tags easily in your projects. If you need assistance implementing these tags please contact our SEO friendly web design team for help. [Read more…] about Google Improves Canonical Tags
