Do ?m=1 URLs Hurt SEO? Should Bloggers Fix Canonical Tag?

Writer: Exponect.com Team

Introduction:

Understanding the ?m=1 Concern

If you use Blogger, you may have seen the ?m=1 parameter in your Google Search Console (GSC) reports. Some blogs and videos make it seem like a critical SEO problem, urging bloggers to “fix” canonical tags.

The truth: For the vast majority of Blogger users, this is not an SEO issue. Google already handles mobile URLs properly, and your ranking is safe.

 

1.

Does ?m=1 Hurt SEO?

Answer: Generally, no.

The ?m=1 parameter is simply a mobile version of your post URL:

Clean URL:

https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/m1-urls-hurt-seo-bloggers-fix-canonical-tag.html

Mobile URL:

https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/m1-urls-hurt-seo-bloggers-fix-canonical-tag.html?m=1

Google is aware that both URLs point to the same content. Thanks to Blogger’s built-in canonical tags, all ranking signals consolidate to the clean URL.

You do not need to manually add a canonical tag — Blogger already does this automatically.

 

2.

Interpreting Google Search Console Reports

Sometimes GSC shows confusing statuses related to ?m=1. Most of these are harmless:

 

Alternate page with proper canonical tag
Google recognizes the mobile URL and indexes the clean version.
Action: Do nothing. This is normal.

What is Canonical:

Canonical means original, authentic, standard, or the version that is officially considered correct.

General Meaning of Canonical:

Canonical = The official or standard version.

Meaning in Blogging / SEO:

A Canonical URL is the URL you tell Google is the main/original version.

Page with redirect
Google’s mobile crawler may be redirected to the ?m=1 version.
Action:

Do nothing. This is part of Blogger’s mobile handling.

Duplicate without user-selected canonical
This is a real issue. It happens only if your theme’s HTML is missing or broken canonical tags.
Action:

Fix your canonical tag in the theme HTML. This is the only scenario requiring a manual fix.

 

3.

Should You “Clean Up” GSC Noise?

Some guides suggest using robots.txt to block ?m=1 URLs. This is unnecessary for SEO:

• Google already understands the canonical relationship.
• Blocking ?m=1 does not improve ranking — it only removes clutter from GSC reports.
• Most bloggers don’t need this step at all.

Focus your energy on creating high-quality content, not on?m=1 URLs.

Why Blogger Shows canonical tag

Blogger can have mobile and desktop versions of the same blog post. Blogger (Google platform) shows desktop version or post URL in this way

Version	URL
Desktop Version	https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/m1-urls-hurt-seo-bloggers-fix-canonical-tag.html
Mobile Version	https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/blog-vs-blogger-vs-blogging-key-differences.html?m=1

 

Blogger automatically adds a canonical tag on the mobile version pointing to the desktop URL. This tells Google to index the main desktop URL and ignore the mobile version, so no action is needed even if mobile URLs appear in Search Console.

WordPress and Canonical Tag:

WordPress uses responsive themes, so the same URL works for both desktop and mobile.

https://www.exponect.com/2025/12/blog-vs-blogger-vs-blogging-key-differences/

WordPress does generate HTML for all pages and posts

Since there is no separate mobile URL, WordPress automatically adds the correct canonical tag to the page. With SEO plugins like Yoast or Rank Math, canonical tagging is handled perfectly. Google indexes the clean URL automatically, so no manual action is needed.

 

Conclusion:

Focus on Trustworthiness and Content

Blogger’s system is designed to manage mobile URLs correctly. The ?m=1 parameter is not harmful to SEO.

Key Points to Remember:

1.   Google consolidates ranking power to the clean URL automatically.

2.   Only fix canonical tags if GSC reports a genuine error.

3.   Ignore the “noise” in reports unless it’s a real problem.

4.   Focus on producing valuable, trustworthy content — that’s what really matters.

By understanding this, you save time, reduce stress, and maintain ethical, E-E-A-T-focused blogging practices.

Final Thought:

(Call To Action)

Usually, ?m=1 is not an issue to address. Similarly, you should worry about canonical tag issue on blogger. Blogger handles it automatically. Blogs and YouTube tutorials are full of

How to Fix ?m=1 Issue?

How to solve Canonical Tag error on Blogger?

This debate is a part of unethical content on blogs and YouTube channel to receive clicks and views using clickbait technique to hit psychological tactics on social media platforms.

Ethical Action Plan:

Just your focus should on creating high-quality content to rank on Google to index each and every post in the best SEO and forget about ?m=1 and Canonical Tag issues on Blogger.

 

 This post has been published by Exponect.com Team

Also Read:

How to Start a Money-Making Professional Blog on Blogger for Long-Term Success