Handling Canonicals for Print-Friendly Pages and AMP
As the web evolves, we’re seeing an increasing number of use cases that require special handling for print-friendly pages and Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP). In this article, we’ll dive into the details of handling canonicals for these types of pages.
What are Canonicals?
Canonicals are a way to specify a preferred version of a webpage to search engines. This helps prevent duplicate content issues and ensures that only one version of your page is indexed.
Why Do We Need Canonicals for Print-Friendly Pages?
Print-friendly pages, also known as “printer-friendly” or “PDF” versions of a web page, are designed to be printed easily without clutter or distractions. These pages often have minimal styling and a focus on content. Since print-friendly pages are essentially a different version of your original webpage, it’s essential to specify a canonical URL to prevent duplicate content issues.
Why Do We Need Canonicals for AMP Pages?
AMP is an open-source framework that provides a way to create web pages that load quickly and efficiently on mobile devices. AMP pages are often cached by Google and other search engines, which can lead to duplicate content issues if not handled properly. Specifying a canonical URL for your AMP page ensures that only the original version of your webpage is indexed.
Handling Canonicals for Print-Friendly Pages
To handle canonicals for print-friendly pages, follow these steps:
- Create a separate HTML file for print-friendly pages: Designate a specific HTML file for your print-friendly page. This will help search engines understand that it’s a different version of your webpage.
- Specify the canonical URL in the head section: Add the following meta tag to the head section of your print-friendly HTML file:
html
<meta name="canonical" content="[Canonical URL]">
Replace[Canonical URL]with the actual canonical URL for your original webpage.
Handling Canonicals for AMP Pages
To handle canonicals for AMP pages, follow these steps:
- Use the
@canonicalattribute in your AMP HTML file: Add the following attribute to the<html>tag of your AMP HTML file:
“`html
“`
Replace `[Canonical URL]` with the actual canonical URL for your original webpage.
**Best Practices**
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When handling canonicals for print-friendly pages and AMP, keep these best practices in mind:
* **Always specify a canonical URL**: Failing to specify a canonical URL can lead to duplicate content issues.
* **Use rel=”canonical” consistently**: Ensure that you use the same `rel` attribute (i.e., “canonical”) across all versions of your webpage.
* **Keep your AMP page up-to-date**: Regularly update your AMP page to ensure it reflects any changes made to your original webpage.
By following these guidelines and best practices, you’ll be able to handle canonicals for print-friendly pages and AMP correctly, ensuring a smooth user experience and optimal search engine performance.
