In SEO, a canonical tag is a piece of code that is placed in the head section of a webpage and informs search engines that a particular URL represents the master copy of a page. This tag is used to resolve issues related to duplicate content by specifying which URL is the preferred or canonical version of a page. By indicating which URL is the canonical version, it helps search engines to avoid confusion and consolidate the search engine ranking signals for that page. This can help prevent any negative impact on the website's search engine ranking due to duplicate content issues.
In real estate SEO, canonical tags are used to address duplicate content issues that are common in the industry. For example, a property listing may appear on multiple pages, such as the main search results page, the individual property listing page, and even on agent pages or third-party websites. If search engines index all these pages as unique content, it can lead to duplicate content issues and impact the website's search engine ranking.
To address this issue, real estate websites can use canonical tags to specify the preferred or canonical version of the page. For example, the individual property listing page may be designated as the canonical version, and any other pages that display the same content would include a canonical tag pointing to the preferred URL.
By using canonical tags, search engines can consolidate the search engine ranking signals for the preferred version of the page, and avoid diluting the authority of the page due to duplicate content. This can help to improve the website's search engine ranking and visibility.
It's important to note that canonical tags should only be used for pages with significant duplicate content issues. They should not be used for pages with only minor variations, such as pages with different sort orders or filter options.
In summary, canonical tags are an important tool in real estate SEO to address duplicate content issues and improve the search engine ranking and visibility of a website's preferred version of a page.
