Clarification on Canonical Tag Implementation in Rank Math

Hello,

We apologize for the issue you are facing with canonical tags on your website. Thank you for raising this concern.

To ensure that canonical tags are correctly set in Rank Math and to avoid duplicate content issues, here are some best practices:

1. Automatic Canonical URLs: Rank Math automatically adds canonical URLs to most of your pages, including product pages, categories, and tags. Ensure that this feature is enabled in your settings.

2. Manual Canonical URLs: For pages with complex URL structures or pagination, you may need to set canonical URLs manually. To do this:

   • Go to the specific page you want to edit.
   • Scroll down to the Rank Math SEO Meta box.
   • Navigate to Advanced → Canonical URL and enter the preferred URL.
   • Don’t forget to update the page after making changes.

   

3. Check for Conflicts: Ensure there are no conflicting plugins or settings that might be affecting how canonical tags are applied. Sometimes, other SEO plugins can interfere with Rank Math’s functionality.

4. Use 301 Redirects: If there are pages you do not want indexed, consider using 301 redirects instead of just canonical tags. This will help guide search engines to the correct version of your content.

   • You can refer to our guide on setting up single and multiple 301 redirects in Rank Math.

5. Inspect in Google Search Console: Use Google Search Console to inspect the URLs and see which canonical version Google has chosen. This can help identify any discrepancies between your settings and what Google is indexing.

   • You can paste the webpage URL into Google Search Console and check the Google-selected canonical under Page Indexing.

   

If you continue to experience issues or need further assistance, we recommend replying to this ticket so a human agent from our support team can assist you directly. They will be able to provide more personalized guidance based on your specific situation.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to helping you resolve this issue!