Duplicate Content

What is Duplicate Content?

In the SEO industry, duplicate content can be a significant issue because search engines like Google strive to provide users with diverse and relevant search results. When multiple pages contain the same or very similar content, search engines may struggle to decide which version is more relevant to a given search query. This can lead to ranking issues, where neither page ranks well, or a search engine might choose to ignore duplicate content altogether in favor of more original material. Duplicate content can occur unintentionally through technical issues, such as URL variations, or deliberately, such as when content is copied across different sites. It's important to address duplicate content to ensure that your site maintains its ranking potential and offers a unique value to users.

Duplicate content refers to substantial blocks of content within or across domains that are either identical or appreciably similar.

Examples

A blog post published on multiple websites without significant changes: For instance, if a guest post on 'How to Improve Your SEO' appears word-for-word on both SEOexpert.com and DigitalMarketingHacks.com, search engines might not know which version to prioritize.

E-commerce product descriptions copied from manufacturers: If multiple online stores use the same product descriptions provided by the manufacturer, such as 'This 16oz stainless steel water bottle is durable and lightweight,' search engines will find it difficult to rank one store over another.

Additional Information

Canonical tags can help manage duplicate content by telling search engines which version of a page should be considered the 'master' copy.

Duplicate content can dilute link equity, meaning that backlinks pointing to different versions of the same content spread out the SEO value, potentially harming overall ranking.

References

How to Solve Duplicate Content Issues: The Complete Guide

Duplicate Content: What Is It + 4 Ways to Address It - Semrush

The Ultimate Guide to Duplicate Content - Screaming Frog