07.10.2022

How Does Duplicate Content Affect SEO?

EZ Rankings, EZ Rankings Technology & Software

How Does Duplicate Content Affect SEO?

When it comes to SEO, content is king and that's why it's so important to make sure that the content on your website is unique, relevant, and engaging. However, sometimes duplicate content can sneak onto your site without you even realizing it. So, what is duplicate content, and how can it affect your website's SEO? Whether you've taken SEO services or done content optimization on your own, it's important to understand this concept. What is Duplicate Content?

In simple terms, duplicate content is any content that appears on more than one website. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including scraping, accidental copying and pasting, and intentional plagiarism. In some cases, duplicate content is also created by websites that have multiple versions of the same page (e.g., www vs. non-www or HTTP vs. HTTPS).


Moreover, duplicate content is also caused by affiliate websites that republish product descriptions and other content from the original manufacturer's website. This is perfectly legal, but it can still create duplicate content issues for the manufacturer's site.


To ensure your website gets the best results and you dominate the SERPs, it's important to have original content.

How Does Duplicate Content Affect SEO?

At best, duplicate content can lead to decreased traffic and conversions because searchers are not getting the unique, valuable content they are looking for.


At worst, it can get your website penalized by Google. When Google detects duplicate content on a website, it will de-index the offending page (meaning it will no longer appear in search results), which can severely hurt your website's traffic levels.


Moreover, from a long-term perspective, if your website continues to engage in duplicate content practices, it could lose trust with Google, which could lead to an even bigger decrease in traffic and rankings.

How do I avoid duplicate content?

Whether you have SEO packages or doing it yourself, you need to understand how to avoid duplicate content. Here are some tips:


  • Publish original content: This is the most obvious way to avoid duplicate content. If you're the only one with a certain piece of content, then it can't be duplicated.
  • Use canonical tags: If you have multiple versions of the same page (e.g., www vs. non-www), you can specify which version you want Google to index using canonical tags. This tells Google that although there are multiple versions of this page, the one you're tagging is the original.
  • Use 301 redirects: If you need to delete a page or change its URL, make sure to use a 301 redirect. This will send visitors (and search engines) from the old page to the new one, and it will also help preserve your website's SEO.
Wrapping up!

Duplicate content can be a major problem for website owners who are trying to boost their SEO. Not only can it lead to decreased traffic and conversions, but it can also result in a Google penalty. If you suspect that there is duplicate content on your website, take steps to remove it as soon as possible. Creating unique, valuable content should be a top priority for all website owners who want to improve their SEO.

EZ Rankings EZ Rankings Technology & Software
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