Duplicate Content: This is Why You Shouldn’t Do It

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Duplicating content and using black-hat SEO techniques Google doesn’t like, but does it mean that your site can boost it rankings in search engine?

Does it still work?

Or better yet—how to make it work without getting penalized?

I’ve covered in this post anything what’s necessary.

Dive into the post and figure out what to do and what not.

What is Duplicate Content?

It is identical material found on multiple parts of a website or on different websites.

Something that has been rewritten on various pages, has the same author, meaning, and sentence structure.

If identical information appears on several URLs, it might be viewed as duplicate content.

Why Should You Avoid Duplicate Content?

Producing identical content for your subpages signals to Google and your readers that you lack original insights; avoid this at all costs.

Furthermore, replicating content can decrease your rankings (unless you’re already buried deep in search results, in which case nothing will change). It also undermines your originality, style, and reputation.

You strive to be an expert, don’t you?

Invest more time and craft top-tier content.

It’s not easy and time-consuming, but your entire audience, alike Google’s algorithms, will appreciate it.

Why Copying Other’s Content is Dangerous?

Taking content from others is risky business, and you’re well aware of that.

Copying not only negatively impacts how Google views your site and how your readers perceive you, but it can also land you in court.

Yes, it’s punishable.

Example: BuzzFeed faced backlash in 2016 when they were accused of plagiarizing articles from smaller websites, tarnishing their credibility. Now imagine, if such a major platform struggled with that issue, what could happen to the little players.

On a small scale, Google might simply ignore your site, but on a larger scale, you could face legal troubles.

Invest more time in writing, but create your own content. It’s genuinely worth it and will translate into high results.

To Avoid Duplicate Content, Understand Your CMS

Your Content Management System might have created a duplicate that you’re not even aware of.

You could have written something earlier, placed it in a separate category, only to find out later that a similar one already exists on your site.

Example:

—> https://x.yz.com/article-simon is the same website as https://x.yz.com/article-category-simon

Although both sides look a bit differently, they’re essentially the same.

So, what to do next?

Learn how to CMS. Also, you’ve got a few options:

• You can use the “Noidex” tag to prevent Google from indexing this given page (it’ll help, but the indicated URL website won’t rank at all).
• Implement the canonical tag (rel=canonical) where it’s necessary.
• At the end of the day, you can revise your content. But remember to keep it original, and don’t divagate from the core idea.

Expanding your knowledge about CMS will enlighten you more about website structure and such nuances. I highly recommend it.

How Having Duplicate Content Can Hurt Search Ranking?

By answering it, let me give you an example:

Imagine you run an online shoe store and use the same product description for a sneaker on multiple pages. Search engines, seeing the repeated content, might rank your product lower, causing potential customers to choose competitors’ offerings instead.

It sounds kind of non-intrusive, but it’s one of those consequences.

Moreover, copying information from your website and putting it back on your site(s) is a white crime.

Worse, if you copy from other websites and allocate it under your domain. That’s a grave crime.

Google wouldn’t like it and its owner even more.

6 Ways to Address Duplicate Content

1/ Use 301 Redirects

If you’ve moved content to a new URL, use a 301 redirect to point from the old URL to the new one.

301 redirects can help address duplicate content by permanently directing one URL to another.

It’ll make you sure that both search engines and users are led to the primary, authoritative version of the content, then consolidating ranking signals and avoiding content duplication.

2/ Duplicate Content: Rel=Canonical

This HTML element tells search engines the preferred version of a page.

The rel=canonical tag tells search engines which version of a page is the original one.

Moreover, rel=canonical will identify the duplicates and prevent the original source from being indexed twice.

Side Note: Canonical Link (rel=canonical), this is a tag placed in the header of an HTML page, allowing us to mark the main, original version of the page. It’s a proven method to limit the problem of content duplication and inform search engine bots which of the duplicated pages holds the original, non-copied information.

3/ Meta Noindex

This tag can be added to the HTML of any page you don’t want search engines to index.

4/ Google Search Console Parameter Handling

For issues with URL parameters, you can specify how Google should treat them.

5/ Consistently Link Internally

Always use the same URL format when linking internally.

But don’t exaggerate with the number—use a link internally for every 500 words.

So, if your post counts 1,500 words, then the ideal scenario has three internal links.

6/ Optimize Your Content Management Wisely

Ensure settings are optimized to reduce duplicates.

Frequently Asked Questions for Duplicate Content in SEO

Conclusions

Copying never pays off.

Copying won’t make you an expert.

Copying will turn your readers away.

These are the three main principles directly related to this post.

If you want to create a unique company, ideas, and content—write your own scenario.

Only in this way, Google will value your work, and customers will be more willing to use your services and read your blog.

And how do you handle duplicating content?

If you enjoyed my post, leave a comment and share it with your friends.

Unless you’d like to write something together with me—you know how to find me.

By the way, if you enjoyed my post, you can support my SEO-blogging journey with a good cup of coffee 😉

Link below 👇

Thank you for reading!
Simon

Author Profile

Simon Gorlak

Simon Gorlak is a Digital Marketing Expert with over 8 years of experience. He specializes in 3 areas: SEO, Lead Generation on LinkedIn, and Email Marketing. Simon's blog gathers knowledge that helps Marketers & C-level to increase profits from their online businesses. Also, his content helps to reach the most difficult customers, make others' content to be read & purchased. Besides digital marketing, Simon speaks 4 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Polish & works as a Head of Business at an Indian Start-up.

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