| I know what you're thinking, what the heck is a | | | | Altering web pages |
| 'canonical URL' when it's at home? Well, it's the URL | | | | This is easy if you have access to your web page |
| that you want your visitors and Google to see when | | | | code and it simply means adding a line into the top of |
| they come to your site. Now, if you're a bit like I | | | | your site between the 'head' tags. If you're lost and |
| was a few years ago, you're thinking that surely | | | | don't know what I'm talking about then it's probably |
| visitors can only see one version of your site | | | | best you back off now and go get your friendly IT |
| anyway. | | | | geek to do it. |
| You're probably wrong. | | | | Simply put the following into the page: " /> |
| For example, some websites will display their content | | | | Obviously replace 'example.com' with your web |
| if you type in the domain name without the 'www' in | | | | address. |
| front as well as with it intact and what this means to | | | | Google will now look at that and know that if it |
| Google is you have two websites. Oh yeah, you've | | | | encounters the URL without the 'www', it should |
| got double websites going on with the same content. | | | | treat it the same as with it. |
| Go check out your site. Type in the domain both | | | | Excellent, duplicate content gone and the world can |
| with and without the 'www' in it and see what | | | | carry on spinning. |
| happens. If your site displays the same without the | | | | Server settings |
| 'www' as it does with it then you have a problem | | | | If you're lucky enough to be using Apache as a web |
| that you need to fix. | | | | server then you're in luck and you can do a similar |
| The big problem here is that spectre of web | | | | thing to the above trick without having to mess with |
| development - "duplicate content" because Google | | | | your web pages. You're going to need FTP access to |
| sees it as two sites, you're effectively competing | | | | your server for this and again, if this scares you, get |
| against yourself. It's bad enough having to optimise | | | | a geek in tow. |
| one site but having to optimise two - well that's just | | | | You'll need to edit the '.htaccess' file. Yep, it's as |
| plain stupid. | | | | scary as it sounds, but if you're plucked up the |
| Now when faced with two identical web pages, | | | | courage then you just need to add the following lines: |
| Google will only display one of them and which one | | | | RewriteEngine On |
| will depend on many factors but suffice it to say, it's | | | | RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^example\.com$ [NC] |
| really not an issue if you just fix the problem in the | | | | RewriteRule ^(.*)$ $1 [R=301,L] |
| first place and that, luckily, is easy. | | | | Easy. If you know how. |
| There are two dead simple things you can do that | | | | You're now serving pleasing web pages to the big 'G' |
| will satisfy the almost omnipresent Google. One | | | | as well as keeping your visitors happy and you should |
| requires a fiddle with the server; the other can be | | | | see a nice increase in your search rankings as Google |
| done in the safety of your web pages. Either will do | | | | now only has one site to deal with. |
| the trick. | | | | |