Canonical URL problem.

[forresthowie]

Hi everyone,
Every single SEO site checker I run brings up the 'canonical url' issue which shows my www.domain.co.uk and domain.co.uk are causing glitches. I'd like to sort this out and came across this suggestion here -
https://www.coderseo.com/rel-canonical-url-code-tool

Before I go and do that for all my webpages, is this a solution that will work or is it going to cause me more problems? I'm not very savvy with the technicalities and hope this works...but it looks 'too good to be true'!
Any advice is much appreciated.
Yours,
Robert

[Acorn]

Have you used the Google Search Console and the URL Inspection page?

The SEO reports are not "glitches" more likely SEO inflation to promote their "professional" tool or advise, at a cost.

If you have submitted a Sitemap then the "canonical" information is there and the Google search Bot will be happy. Do this first.

The harder second would be to ensure each site page has the <link rel="canonical" href="http://www.example.com/article-page.htm(l)" /> correctly typed in and copied into Web Properties > Page > HTML code (head), and maintained thereafter.

This issue does not affect Variants as there is only one file.
It only works for HTML pages and so reluctantly it is well suited for the Xara HTML Filter output. Perhaps Xara should check for the HTTP Protocol and the expected site Canonical URL so this could be automated.

Acorn

[forresthowie]

Brilliant - thank you.
I'm using a sitemap generator so will check and see if that's sorted it.
When you say 'xara HTML Filter output' - I'm not too sure what that actually is I'm afraid - do you just mean the way a website is exported with Xara?
Thanks muchly for your help Acorn!

[Acorn]

Brilliant - thank you.
I'm using a sitemap generator so will check and see if that's sorted it.
When you say 'xara HTML Filter output' - I'm not too sure what that actually is I'm afraid - do you just mean the way a website is exported with Xara?
Thanks muchly for your help Acorn!

The output Xara generates leaves a fingerprint like "<meta name="Generator" content="Xara HTML filter v.9.1.0.41"/>" in your source code, so short answer, yes.

Acorn

[forresthowie]

The output Xara generates leaves a fingerprint like "<meta name="Generator" content="Xara HTML filter v.9.1.0.41"/>" in your source code, so short answer, yes.

Acorn

Fab - thank you! Have a great Christmas!