What are the best practices for SEO when it comes to publishing a website on both www and non-www versions?
When publishing a website on the internet, it's important to consider the best practices for search engine optimization (SEO). One aspect of SEO that often causes confusion is dealing with both the www and non-www versions of a website. Here are some best practices to follow when it comes to publishing a website on both versions:
Choose a preferred version: Decide whether you want your website to be accessed using the www or non-www version. This will be the version you will promote and optimize for search engines. It is generally recommended to choose one version and redirect the other to your preferred version.
Set up 301 redirects: Implementing 301 redirects is crucial to ensure that search engines understand which version of your website is the canonical version. A 301 redirect permanently directs users and search engines from one URL to another. Redirect the non-preferred version to your preferred version to consolidate your website's authority and avoid duplicate content issues.
Update internal links: Make sure that all internal links on your website consistently use the preferred version. This includes links within your navigation menus, footer, and body content. This will help search engines understand the correct version to index and rank.
Canonical tags: Implement canonical tags to indicate to search engines which version of a page is the preferred version. Canonical tags help consolidate link equity and prevent duplicate content issues. Place the canonical tag on the non-preferred version of a page, pointing it to the preferred version.
Update sitemap: Ensure that your XML sitemap includes only the preferred version of your website. Submit the sitemap to search engines to help them discover and index your preferred version accurately.
Update external links: If your website has external links pointing to it, it's ideal to reach out to the respective website owners and request them to update the links to your preferred version. While you can't control all external links, updating them can help improve the overall consistency and authority of your website in the eyes of search engines.
Test and monitor regularly: After implementing the above steps, it's crucial to test and monitor your website's performance on both versions. Ensure that the redirects are working correctly, and search engines are recognizing the preferred version. Monitor your website's analytics and search console to identify and resolve any issues that may arise.
By implementing these best practices, you can ensure that your website's SEO efforts are focused on a single version, avoiding duplicate content issues and consolidating your website's authority.
