Does a / at the end of a URL create a duplicate page?

[T0BY]

Hello,

I have just used (the amazing) Screaming Frog to check my site and it is listing the two following pages as having duplicate titles, making me think it is seeing them as duplicate pages.

http://zenplugs.com/zenplugs-molded-earphones/

http://zenplugs.com/zenplugs-molded-earphones

Do I need to redirect one of these?

Thanks in advance!

Toby

[DSM_UK]

Hi Toby,

Yes, unfortunately the / will cause duplicate content and will need to be redirected, it is up to you which one to keep, I would compare the PA of both, and also which one has the most internal and external links going to it, so you can redirect the least popular version to keep 301s to a minimum.

Kind Regards

Jimmy

[hectormainar]

Search engines are getting good in identifying common problems like this, but it is in fact a duplicate content issue. By the low cost of redirecting one of those options to the other, or implementing a canonical tag, I would not risk to be detected as duplicate.

Also, using always the same notation will benefit you to concentrate links to one page, as any incoming link will reach directly to the correct address. If you randomly use both versions of the URL and both return content, visitors will copy the link and you will end with links pointing to both of them, damaging your linkbuilding.

What option is best? It does not mind. Usually for users it is "cleaner" to see no trailing slash, as it is interpreted as visiting a document and not a folder. But any of them is perfect.

[Alick300]

Hi Toby,

it is considered good practice to either always or never have that trailing slash – otherwise it could be considered duplicate content.

According to Google

Be consistent: Try to keep your internal linking consistent. For example, don't link to http://www.example.com/page/ and http://www.example.com/page and http://www.example.com/page/index.htm.

Yes you need to redirect one of those.

Hope this helps.

Thanks

[T0BY]

Thanks everyone, very helpful.