Give every page one job
A page should answer a distinct question in enough depth to stand on its own. Its title and description should summarize that answer in ordinary language. If two pages promise the same thing, combine them or make their purposes genuinely different before asking a search system to choose between them.
Declare the preferred address
A canonical address helps consolidate ordinary variations such as alternate hosts, tracking parameters, and duplicated routes. It is a hint, not a substitute for consistent links and redirects. The page, sitemap, feed, and navigation should all point to the same preferred version.
- Use absolute, stable canonical addresses.
- Keep redirected hosts out of the sitemap.
- Do not canonicalize substantively different pages to one generic destination.
Describe what is visibly true
Structured data should mirror the page: an article can identify its headline, author, publication, and breadcrumb path; a method can describe its actual steps. Invented credentials, inflated organization claims, and hidden keyword lists add risk rather than clarity.
The strongest metadata is boringly accurate. It gives machines the same hierarchy a reader can see.
Link by meaning
A related link should explain the next useful idea. Connect a duplicate-data article to source correction, or an evidence article to the request ledger. This creates a legible map for readers and crawlers without turning every paragraph into an anchor-text exercise.