We’re told that duplicate Content can have undesirable results in the SEO world. Why? What is the same Content, and why? What is the same Content? What is the impact on SEO? What did I do?
Duplicate Content, as you may have guessed from the name, is when the same piece of Content appears on two different websites. Duplicate Content is created, for example, when you publish a blog post on your site and insert it into its webpage.
Here’s how Google defines the term:
Duplicate Content is a term used to describe Content that is either identical or very similar.
Why is this bad? You have to imagine yourself in Google’s shoes. Google wants to give its users the best experience possible. This means providing relevant and high-quality search results. We need to dig a little bit deeper to understand duplicate Content and its impact on SEO fully.
Duplicate Content
Google and website owners are both affected by duplicate Content.
It can be difficult for search engines such as Google to determine:
- What Content should they include in their index?
- What version should they rank?
- Link juice (authority) or link equity (trust, etc.). To a single or multiple pages.
Google will be wary of Content that is posted more than once. There is a possibility it is spam, stolen material, or an owner who is trying to boost traffic. Unfortunately, for some website owners, it could be a simple mistake made by a web developer. Google’s algorithms are unable to make subjective decisions about which version of Content is most relevant. Google uses this method to avoid ranking duplicate Content.
Duplicate Content is harmful to website owners because it can harm their rankings and traffic.
- Search engines should not render more than one copy of the same piece of Content. Algorithms can’t decide which version of the Content is better. The owner may be forced to unrank the Content.
- Link equity, or “link juice,” as SEO experts call it, becomes diluted. When people share Content with multiple versions, they have to choose which link to share. They may not always select the same source. All traffic to the same piece of material is then directed from multiple sources. Ranking high on SERPs is dependent on link juice. A single piece of Content that is published in more than one place will not maximize its visibility.
What is Duplicate Content?
URL Variations
The URL of a website can be displayed in many different ways. Search engines will read http://website.com as two separate URLs. If the same Content appears in both, it can be considered duplicate Content.
URL parameters generated for tracking can cause problems. Have you ever seen links that lead to the same destination?
http://website.com/?utm_source=blog3&utm_page=email&utm_information=information
Geographically different domains
Localized domains are available for different countries, such as.ca (Canada) and.de (Germany). Duplicate Content can occur if your Content is identical across other domains.
Copying Content
Google does not tolerate plagiarism. If your Content has been taken directly from another source, Google could choose to either remove your page or move it back down the results.
Content curators are a common feature of many websites today. Google will recognize content curation as long as the Content is more than just copying and pasting. Google will give you credit for adding a new perspective or value.
How to Fix Duplicate Content
To fix duplicate Content, you must identify the correct version. The goal is to determine which version of the Content deserves credit.
301 redirect
Please set up a redirection from duplicate pages to their source to send search bots back to the original page and tell them which one should be ranked. Imagine that Google is lost, and you are giving it directions to the closest town.
Rel= “canonical”
This code, which looks funny, is actually a signal that is built into the HTML header of a website. It tells search engines whether or not a page is an exact copy. The code also gives them the URL of the original. Google knows then which page it should give the link juice.
Rewrite Content
Google doesn’t mind if you rewrite Content with your point of view or add to it. Paraphrasing is what you should think of.
Meta Robots Noindex
It is possible to redirect search bots by using this method. Search bots being redirected to other pages is slow, and SEOs are not fond of the idea.
Wrapping up
Avoiding duplicate Content can be a challenge for web designers and website owners.
It is important to think like a search engine and not as a website owner. Power Digital Marketing’s SEO experts can help you avoid common mistakes like URL variations.
We can assist you if you believe that your website may have duplicate Content. Avoid the same Content to avoid being penalized by Google.