What Is Duplicated Content?
Duplicated content refers to blocks of content within or across domains that are either identical or very similar.
A study by Raven Tools found that up to 29% of pages have duplicate content.
The SEO impact of duplicate content can occur within a single website (internal duplication) and across multiple different websites (external duplication).
Causes of duplicate content include printer-friendly versions of pages, session ID issues, and scraped or copied content.
From an SEO perspective, duplicate content can dilute keyword relevance and hinder the ability of search engines to index and rank pages effectively – Googlebot won’t like your copy cat pages!
Imagine a blog on an e-commerce website, providing information on cat food to an audience that has mass cannibalization issues due to this duplicate content. Think about it from a human perspective, this can impact sales and targeted advertising too, as well as their brand and domain name.
SEO vs Duplicated Content
Duplicate content can significantly dilute the ranking potential of a website.
It confuses search engines and frustrates users, leading to inaccurate results and lower rankings through PageRank.
Due to the consequences of duplicate content on SEO rankings, Google may also need to correct the more relevant page from search results or split authority between two pages, negatively impacting SEO performance.
However, it’s important to note that Google does not typically penalize for duplicate content unless it’s part of deceptive behavior.
It’ll be harder to gain quality backlinks from the internet, and the probability for proper search indexing is low, and your trustworthiness may be questioned by users as bad.
Unique Content Wins in Google
Google and other search engines heavily favor unique and original content. Not only does it improve visibility and authority, but it also enhances user experience (UX), which is increasingly crucial in digital marketing.
UX improvements, including reducing duplicate content, can have massive ROI if executed with the right hand to address indexing issues.
You need to think about a web crawler experiencing an article. Ensuring content uniqueness is a win-win for both SEO and user satisfaction.
Unique content is also great a way to get a high qualtiy backlink
How to Stop Duplicate Content
To prevent duplicate content, employ several strategies. These include using 301 redirects, canonical tags, and setting less essential pages to ‘noindex.’ Other practical steps include:
- Disabling session IDs in URLs.
- Avoiding duplicate printer-friendly pages.
- Ensuring consistent URL parameters.
- Adding a noindex tag
Understanding the content management system (CMS) and its potential for creating duplicate content is also essential. Rewriting content uniquely by a different author can prevent an unnatural tone if necessary.
Key Takeaways
- Duplicate content can negatively affect SEO by confusing search engines and diluting keyword relevance.
- Search engines like Google favor unique, original content, which contributes to higher rankings.
- Proactive strategies such as 301 redirects, canonical tags, and continuous monitoring can effectively manage and prevent duplicate content.
FAQs
What impact does duplicate content have on Google rankings?
Duplicate content can significantly impact Google rankings by causing search engines to divide link equity among similar pages, potentially lowering the ranking of each page. It can also lead to some pages needing to be included in search results, thus decreasing overall visibility.
Are there any legal concerns related to duplicate content?
Yes, beyond SEO implications, duplicate content can raise legal issues, especially if content is copied without permission. Copyright infringement can result in legal action, damaging a website’s reputation and credibility.
How can website owners identify duplicate content?
Web administrators can identify unintentional duplicated content using tools like Copyscape or Google Search Console. Regular website content and structure audits can help spot and rectify duplication issues
