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Duplicate content refers to content on websites that is either the same or very similar across multiple pages. Search engines, like Google, are constantly battling black hat tactics such as malicious duplicate content. I specifically refer to “malicious” duplicate content because you are bound to come across some sites that have repeated content with the intent of helping viewers – like printer-friendly pages. The practices Google is working against include sites that will intentionally duplicate content in an attempt to fool the search engines in order to gain more search traffic. You do not want to be mistaken for one of these sites.
Right off the bat I will address the issue of plagiarism – it is illegal, write your own unique content. You cannot take content from other websites and use it for your own. Be original, and make your own statements instead of leaning on the words of others.
Now, while the issues behind duplicate content stem far beyond plagiarism, the basic principles remain the same. Google wants users to have the most productive search experience possible. If you do a search and the top results are all the same, the amount of fresh, helpful information you can gather is limited – this is exactly what the search engines don’t want to happen. To avoid sludgy search results, Google filters out content they consider spam.
To avoid getting caught in Google’s filters you can follow these suggested practices:
- Use 301 Redirects – If you have changed up your website, you need to use 301 redirects to send/link the old page to the new page. This way, when someone searches they will receive the most updated content and you won’t be penalized by Google for having more than one of the same page.
- Block pages you don’t wish to be indexed – If you have duplicate pages for a specific purpose, such as printer-friendly pages, you can include specialized coding within your site or meta tags that let the search engines know they don’t have to index that page. This way you are deciding which page to display and which to hide, instead of Google deciding that on its own.
- Keep boilerplate repetition to a minimum – Boilerplate text refers to standard text, such as copyright content. Instead of including the same boilerplate text on multiple pages, include some teaser text and link to a single page that includes all of the required details.
- Avoid similar content – If you have more than one page of content that is very similar, try to combine them into one page. Now, at Astonish Results our clients are insurance agencies so if they have separate pages for Garage Liability and Garage Keepers Liability, we will recommend they be consolidated onto a singular page. If the content will be essentially the same on two pages, it makes sense to pull them together to avoid both viewer confusion as well as Google duplication penalties.
There are many more techniques you can use to prove your worth to Google, but overall your site will thrive if you keep things simple and unique. At Astonish Results, we provide all of our clients with focused, unique content that utilizes a list of keywords tailored toward the insurance lines on which they concentrate. We also advise on nothing less than one of a kind blog posts – you cannot use the same post on your off-site blog that you did on-site. Both Google and your potential customers will be thankful when you drop duplicate content and instead shower them with fresh, fierce, unique thoughts.
There are many nuances when it comes to duplicate content, and it can sometimes be difficult to determine if you are utilizing best practices. Let us know if you have any questions or thoughts on this topic.
