Why Does My Blog Generate Two URLs and How to Fix It

When managing a blog on a website, it's not uncommon to encounter situations where a single blog post generates multiple URLs, leading to potential SEO issues. This confusion can arise from various technical and structural reasons. In this article, we will explore the common causes of this problem and provide practical solutions.

Understanding the Issue

Let's first understand the scenario. You have a blog post published on your website, and upon checking, you notice that it generates two URLs:

One URL that is okay and returns the content typed by you. Another URL that includes extra content or parameters.

This duplication can lead to issues such as:

Indexing inaccuracies by search engines. Main URL issues, where Google may crawl the incorrect or duplicate version. Decreased page authority and rankings in search results.

Understanding the root cause of this problem is the first step toward resolving it effectively.

Common Causes of Multiple URLs

Here are some common reasons why your blog might generate multiple URLs:

1. Duplicate URLs

Your website might be accessible via both the “www” and non-“www” versions. This can lead to duplicate content problems. For example, both and might point to the same content.

To resolve this, you can set up a 301 redirect to ensure all traffic is directed to either the “www” or non-“www” version. This is typically done through your website's hosting provider or by modifying your .htaccess file.

2. URL Parameters

Content management systems (CMS) often add extra parameters to URLs, leading to duplicate versions of the same page. For example, a URL might include query strings that affect the appearance of the page but not its core content.

You can use canonical tags to specify the preferred version of the page. Canonical tags help search engines understand which URL should be used, consolidating indexing signals to a single preferred URL. Most CMS platforms have plugins or settings that can automate the addition of canonical tags.

3. Pagination

If your blog posts are split across multiple pages, each page might have a different URL. This can cause issues, especially if the pagination structure is not properly managed. For example, URLs like and might be created, leading to confusion.

To fix this, use rel”prev” and rel”next” tags to indicate the relationship between paginated pages. This helps search engines understand the structure and consolidate indexing signals.

4. Dynamic URL Generation

If your website dynamically generates URLs based on user interactions, it's possible that unintended or duplicate URLs are being created. Review your website's code to ensure that URLs are generated consistently and correctly.

5. Google Search Console and URL Parameters

You can use Google Search Console to specify URL parameters that should be ignored by Google when crawling your site. This can prevent Google from indexing multiple versions of the same page with different parameters.

Implementing Solutions

Once you identify the cause of the multiple URLs, you can implement the appropriate solution. Here are the steps you might follow:

Set Up 301 Redirects

Log in to your website's hosting provider or FTP client.

Locate your .htaccess file.

Modify the file to include the necessary 301 redirect rules. For example, to redirect all non-“www” traffic to “www”, you might add:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www. [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://www.%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R301,L]

Use Canonical Tags

Identify the preferred version of each page.

Add the canonical tag to the section of the page, pointing to the preferred URL. For example:

link rel"canonical" href"" /

Implement Rel"prev" and Rel"next" Tags

Review your blog post pagination settings.

Add the rel"prev" and rel"next" tags to the appropriate tags of each paginated page. For example:

link rel"prev" href"" /
link rel"next" href"" /

Check URL Parameters in Google Search Console

Log in to Google Search Console.

Go to URL Parameters.

Specify and ignore the URL parameters you want to remove from the indexing. For example, you might specify that certain query strings should be ignored.

Conclusion

Ensuring that your blog generates only one URL for each post is crucial for SEO and user experience. By addressing the common causes of multiple URLs, you can improve your site's performance and overall visibility on search engines.

If you're unsure about how to implement these solutions, consulting with a web developer or SEO specialist can be highly beneficial. They can provide a thorough analysis of your website's configuration and offer tailored recommendations to resolve any technical issues.