Best SEO Checklist
ONE FOCUSED ACTION

Check Google’s selected canonical URLs with URL Inspection Tool.

Canonicalization optimization

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    Why this matters

    Identifying which URLs Google treats as canonical uncovers discrepancies between intended and actual canonical URLs, helping resolve ranking conflicts.

    A STARTING-POINT EXAMPLE

    Hypothetical standard operating procedure

    Adapt this example to your site, access, tools, and change process. It is our suggested procedure, informed by the sources below.

    1. Open Google Search Console and navigate to URL Inspection Tool.
    2. Enter a URL suspected of canonical issues.
    3. Check the 'Canonical URL' field to see which page Google selects.
    4. Compare with your preferred canonical URL for alignment.
    5. Document any mismatches for remediation.

    Watch for

    Ignoring Google’s chosen canonicals can cause search engines to index unintended or duplicate pages.

    Definition of done

    You can clearly see and justify Google's canonical page selection for key URLs.

    Sources & attribution

    1. Fix Canonicalization Issues | Google Search Central ↗

    Original checklist wording and example SOP by Best SEO Checklist, using source-grounded AI assistance. Editorial contact: Ted Kubaitis, @tedkubaitis on Teams. Check current source guidance before implementation.