Now, it’s time to review what you can do to prevent duplicate content issues. Or remedy current problems.
Here are two methods you can use:
Implement canonical tags
Canonical tags (also called rel=”canonical” tags) are HTML code fragments that specify the preferred URL for duplicate or very similar content how to fix duplicate.
A canonical tag tells search engines which special database version of your page you want them to index and display in search results.
You can find the tag in the <head> section of a website’s HTML code. Here’s an example of what it looks like:
Self-referencing canonical tags (i.e. tags on a page that point back to itself) can also protect your content from scrapers how to fix duplicate content issues. This is because it tells search engines that the page they are on is the original, authoritative source.
If scrapers copy your content and do not include this tag correctly, search engines are more likely to recognize your page as the original.
Adding a canonical tag to your page will vary depending on which content management system you use: WordPress, Webflow, etc.
The easiest way to do this in WordPress is with the Yoast SEO plugin.
First, log in to your WordPress account.
Next, add Yoast SEO to your WordPress site by clicking on “ Plugins ” > “ Add New ” in the left menu.
Type ” Yoast SEO ” into the search bar. Then, search for the plugin and click ” Install Now “.
After installing the plugin and setting it up, click on ” Pages ” in the sidebar and navigate to one of your duplicate pages.
Next, open the Yoast SEO sidebar by clicking on the Yoast SEO logo in the top right corner of your screen.
Scroll down the sidebar until you see ” Advanced .” Click on it to expand it and enter the canonical link in the space under “Canonical URL.”
If the page is a duplicate, add the URL of the page you want Google to index in the space provided. If you are on the page you want to index, enter the URL of that page to create a self-referencing canonical tag.
Once you’ve inserted the canonical tag, run Semrush Site Audit to test its implementation. And check if the number of duplicate pages has decreased.
For further reading:
- Canonical URLs: A Beginner’s Guide to Canonical Tags
Implement 301 redirects when necessary
A 301 redirect permanently redirects users and search engines from one URL to another. This method is best for duplicates that you don’t need to keep (such as when you’ve changed from HTTP to HTTPS or moved a page to a new URL).
Let’s say you’ve changed the URL of your “About” page from .
You’ll want to redirect the old URL to your new URL so that users and search engines land on the correct page.
Some hosting companies will automatically implement a 301 redirect when you change a page’s URL. But the exact steps to implement a 301 redirect depend on your server and the content management system (CMS) you use.
For detailed instructions, see our guide on 301 redirects .
Monitor and audit your content with Semrush
Duplicate content can have a negative sault data impact on SEO. It can reduce your ranking potential and harm your website’s crawlability.
But there are ways to avoid duplicate content issues. And fix the problems before they start affecting your website’s performance.
Use Semrush’s Site Audit tool to regularly monitor the health of your site. And quickly check if you have any duplicate content issues on your website how to fix duplicate.
