Canonicalization
Canonicalization is how a search engine picks one main web address when the same page, or nearly the same page, can be reached at more than one address. Google calls its pick the canonical URL and usually shows that address in search. You can state the address you'd like it to pick, and Google may still choose another.
Source: Google Search Central, What is URL canonicalization, checked October 29, 2026
What Canonicalization means for your business
Google's guide ranks the ways to state your pick. A redirect is a strong signal. So is a rel="canonical" tag, a line of code in the page's head. Listing the page in your sitemap is a weak one. Google also says a site will likely do fine without setting any of them, since it picks a canonical on its own.
We'd still check, because the page Google picks may not be the one you want buyers to land on. In Google Search Console, the URL Inspection tool shows the canonical you declared beside the one Google selected. When they differ, we'd find out why Google passed over your choice before changing any tags.
If Search Console says Google picked a different page than the one you set, sorting out which address Google should treat as the real one is part of the technical work we do.
Last reviewed October 29, 2026. All terms
How AI answers it today
On October 29, 2026, Google's AI Overview opened with the general computing meaning, then gave the SEO one, citing Wikipedia, Google's own guide, Moz, Stack Overflow and YouTube. ChatGPT listed four fields, SEO among them, and cited nothing.
Our run through ChatGPT and Google's AI Overview, October 29, 2026. A sample, not what every buyer sees.
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