Duplicate content has been an interesting and controversial topic in the world of search engine optimization (SEO). There have been many myths and talked-about facts that have been debated endlessly, and it can be difficult to discern which are true and which aren’t. In order to help clear up the confusion, we are going to be taking a closer look at five myths and five facts about how duplicate content impacts SEO.
Myths:
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Duplicate content will get you punished by Google – While it is true that duplicate content can be an issue, Google actually doesn’t punish websites for it. It is important for website owners, however, to make sure that the content on their site is original and unique.
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Google will discount non-original content – Google’s algorithm is smart enough to recognize that content that is not technically considered “original” can still be valuable. This includes content from partner sites, syndicated content, and original videos.
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Duplicate content doesn’t affect rankings – While it is true that duplicate content can’t impede search engine rankings, it can still negatively impact user experience. If search engine users are bombarded with duplicate content, they may become disinterested and view the site as untrustworthy.
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You should ignore duplicate content – It is important to be attentive to any issues regarding duplicate content. If duplicate content is identified on a website, it should be addressed promptly to ensure no negative effects on the user experience.
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All duplicate content is equal – Not all duplicate content is created equal. Content that is plagiarized or copied from another source is much more harmful than content that is less than 100% original.
Facts:
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Duplicate content can harm SEO – While Google doesn’t actually punish sites for having duplicate content, it can still harm SEO by making it more difficult for search engines to crawl your site.
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Duplicate content can be an issue with content sharing sites – Content sharing sites such as YouTube, Vimeo and Pinterest are prone to duplicate content issues. This is because the same content can be uploaded multiple times, resulting in multiple versions of the same content being indexed in the search engine results.
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Duplicate content is unavoidable in some cases – In some cases, duplicate content is unavoidable. For example, online stores often list the same product description across different product pages.
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Not all duplicate content is bad – While some duplicate content can be an issue, there are scenarios in which it can be beneficial. For example, having the same content available in multiple languages can be beneficial for SEO since it can help your website reach a wider audience.
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Meta tags and canonical tags can help with duplicate content – Meta tags and canonical tags can be used to address duplicate content issues. Meta tags provide information about the page’s content, while canonical tags can help search engines identify which page should be indexed in the search engine results.
Overall, it is important to be aware of the different myths and facts surrounding duplicate content and its impact on SEO. While it is true that duplicate content can be a potential issue, if the problem is addressed promptly and appropriately, it should not have too much effect on your website’s performance in the search engine results.