Comments on: SEO advice: url canonicalization http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/ neat fun stuff Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:35:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Sam http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-411515 Sam Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:32:56 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-411515 Thanks for clearing all of this up Matt. I have just been made aware of the canonalization issue on the google help forum and hope I have now cleared it up for my site with 301 redirects (fingers crossed). One issue that many people seem to forget is the internal links pointing to index.html (me included!) Thanks for clearing all of this up Matt. I have just been made aware of the canonalization issue on the google help forum and hope I have now cleared it up for my site with 301 redirects (fingers crossed). One issue that many people seem to forget is the internal links pointing to index.html (me included!)

]]> By: Jon Trimmer http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-409231 Jon Trimmer Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:49:15 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-409231 I have built a site using Wordpress and use the All in one SEO Pluging. It gives an option to provide canonical URLs (I am saying yes, although still not sure why). I understand that it is handy for the index page (like the example you gave) but for a blog where there is only one reference to a post, is it really needed? What does is do? Is it just an indicator to the search engine or does it mean something to how the blog is built? I have built a site using Wordpress and use the All in one SEO Pluging. It gives an option to provide canonical URLs (I am saying yes, although still not sure why). I understand that it is handy for the index page (like the example you gave) but for a blog where there is only one reference to a post, is it really needed? What does is do? Is it just an indicator to the search engine or does it mean something to how the blog is built?

]]> By: Stefanos Anastasiadis http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-408964 Stefanos Anastasiadis Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:23:26 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-408964 How do you redirect every non-www url version of my web site to a www one. I mean every single page. I am using Joomla CMS. Is there any way to do that automatically or do I have to do it manually. How do you redirect every non-www url version of my web site to a www one. I mean every single page. I am using Joomla CMS. Is there any way to do that automatically or do I have to do it manually.

]]> By: Rob James http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-406821 Rob James Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:56:21 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-406821 Google Site Maps Problem: Site Configuration > Settings > Preferred domain When changing the display it seems it has not verified the domain the opposite of the domain (www.domain.com needs to verify ownership of domain.com and vise versa). There seems to be an issue (recently and not in the past) that some users cannot set the preferred domain within the webmaster tools. Even though the verification is seeing a file and says the site is indeed verified. There still is an issue with Google wanting to verify both in order to make any changes to a preferred domain. Makes solving the url canonicalization a bit troublesome unless you add both. Solution: You may need to put in both your root domain and the www version by adding both sites within your Google Sitemaps (Webmaster Tools) section. Google Site Maps Problem:

Site Configuration > Settings > Preferred domain

When changing the display it seems it has not verified the domain the opposite of the domain (www.domain.com needs to verify ownership of domain.com and vise versa).

There seems to be an issue (recently and not in the past) that some users cannot set the preferred domain within the webmaster tools. Even though the verification is seeing a file and says the site is indeed verified. There still is an issue with Google wanting to verify both in order to make any changes to a preferred domain. Makes solving the url canonicalization a bit troublesome unless you add both.

Solution: You may need to put in both your root domain and the www version by adding both sites within your Google Sitemaps (Webmaster Tools) section.

]]> By: Richard Robbins http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-406494 Richard Robbins Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:40:49 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-406494 Hey Matt. I have a situation for which an answer would probably benefit other webmasters in addition to myself. One of my clients, a website that sells nursing scrubs, has been building external links to their site for years. Most of the links that come to their site use the non-www version of their URL (http://scribbidyscrubs.com) when linking. Recently they've switched to a new shopping cart system, which forced them to use http://www.scribbidyscrubs.com instead of the non-www version. They are trying to get their new version of the site indexed quickly by Google, and they've already setup 301 redirects to send their old pages to their new ones. My question is this: Would it be better for them to try to get their new shopping cart provider to change their site back to the non-www version, or should they just direct all incoming HTTP requests to the new www version? My concern is that Google will reduce the value of their incoming links since the incoming links point to a URL that is now being redirected. Thanks in advance for a useful answer. Hey Matt. I have a situation for which an answer would probably benefit other webmasters in addition to myself. One of my clients, a website that sells nursing scrubs, has been building external links to their site for years. Most of the links that come to their site use the non-www version of their URL (http://scribbidyscrubs.com) when linking. Recently they’ve switched to a new shopping cart system, which forced them to use http://www.scribbidyscrubs.com instead of the non-www version. They are trying to get their new version of the site indexed quickly by Google, and they’ve already setup 301 redirects to send their old pages to their new ones. My question is this: Would it be better for them to try to get their new shopping cart provider to change their site back to the non-www version, or should they just direct all incoming HTTP requests to the new www version? My concern is that Google will reduce the value of their incoming links since the incoming links point to a URL that is now being redirected. Thanks in advance for a useful answer.

]]> By: Anthony http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-402684 Anthony Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:32:28 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-402684 canonical tag. I want to start using it but im not sure how to use it right. I have a national site and I want to avoid the duplicate content blues. So im fine with making unique pages for the states and even the countys thats the easy part. I just dont want to piss google off. So for the towns should I set it up to canonical to the county page that it belongs too? does the canonical tag do a redirect? what i have read says it treats it as saying the real page info is located here. But does that mean it wont even crawl the page? I think i have a great question that NO one touches on. canonical tag. I want to start using it but im not sure how to use it right.

I have a national site and I want to avoid the duplicate content blues.

So im fine with making unique pages for the states and even the countys thats the easy part. I just dont want to piss google off.

So for the towns should I set it up to canonical to the county page that it belongs too?

does the canonical tag do a redirect? what i have read says it treats it as saying the real page info is located here. But does that mean it wont even crawl the page?

I think i have a great question that NO one touches on.

]]> By: ebusinessuk http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-397917 ebusinessuk Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:46:52 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-397917 We have taken your advice on board and gone for a 301 redirect for our blog site as there is continuous posting there We have taken your advice on board and gone for a 301 redirect for our blog site as there is continuous posting there

]]> By: Space Coast http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-397916 Space Coast Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:43:17 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-397916 How can I standardize the canonization of external and internal links to my site's home page? How can I standardize the canonization of external and internal links to my site’s home page?

]]> By: Vincent http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-395009 Vincent Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:23:27 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-395009 Hi Matt, Thanx for this post. I only have one question and that is: Does Google see a webpage with a trailing slash on the end and the same page without as a double pages within your website? Hi Matt,

Thanx for this post.
I only have one question and that is: Does Google see a webpage with a trailing slash on the end and the same page without as a double pages within your website?

]]> By: Dennis http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/seo-advice-url-canonicalization/#comment-393929 Dennis Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:54:50 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/?p=89#comment-393929 Thanks for a very informative post Matt! I've started URL canonicalization. Thanks for a very informative post Matt! I’ve started URL canonicalization.

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