Why Is Having Duplicate Content an Issue for SEO?

Unique and original content ranks among the most crucial aspects of ranking well on Google and other search engines as far as search engine optimization (SEO) is concerned. Most website owners do not think of the negative impact of duplicate content on their presence on the Internet. Accidental copying of a paragraph or even a whole page published in different URLs, duplicate content may end up confusing search engines and thus damaging your chances of ranking on top.

In this article, we will deconstruct what duplicate content is, why it is an issue, how it impacts your SEO, and what you can do to correct it.

What Is Duplicate Content?

Duplicate content is the content in the form of a block of text or page that cannot be found on a single site- it may be on your site or on several sites. Simply put, when the same or a very close content appears in different URLs, then it is regarded as a duplicate content.

Examples of Duplicate Content

• An exact copy of a product description on several product pages.
• The blog article was posted on two websites.
• The pages that use the same text as the main page but are in printer-friendly versions.
• Several URLs with the same or almost similar information.
• Duplicate content may be either in-house (in your own site) or off-site (in other sites).

Why Do Search Engines Care About Duplicate Content?

The aim of search engines such as Google is to provide the most promising and most pertinent results to any search query.

They struggle to make a choice when they come across several pages containing the same content:

• What page should be displayed in search results?
• Which one is the original source?
• The ranking signals such as backlinks and authority need to be divided how.

This misunderstanding can damage your presence as well as your reputation. Search engines do not punish the sites with the duplication content, but they do filter the duplicates, and this means that only one copy of the item may be found in the search results, which may not necessarily be yours.

How Duplicate Content Hurts Your SEO

There are a number of ways in which duplicate content can hurt your SEO. We will take a closer look at each of them.

It Dilutes Your Ranking Power

Search engines are unable to rank which URL to give priority when they contain the same or similar content. This implies that your backlinks, user interaction and other aspects of ranking are divided between such versions rather than being integrated. Consequently, no one of the pages will be ranked as well as it could be.

It Confuses Search Engines

Search engines attempt to give the most pertinent and credible information. When they are shown several pages with the same text, they may not be aware of which one is the official one. This disorientation may result in demotion or even exclusion of the search results.

It Wastes Crawl Budget

Search engines have a specific number of resources and time to index your site, referred to as a crawl budget. When search bots use time to crawl on the duplicate pages, they may ignore or postpone the indexing of your important and unique pages. This would minimize your SEO of the site.

It Can Hurt Link Equity

In the event that other sites are connected to the other versions of the same content, your link equity is split. Instead of reinforcing a single page of authority, the backlinks are distributed among duplicates, and this can dilute your overall authority to Google.

It Damages User Experience

Users do not desire to read the same data several times. When visitors appear with duplicated information on your site, they may feel that your brand does not have any originality or experience. This may lower trust and cause users to abandon your site sooner to which this may hurt your SEO performance in the long-run.

Common Causes of Duplicate Content

Most of the owners of websites are not even aware that they have duplicated content. It often happens by accident. 

Here are some of the most common causes:

URL Variations

Duplicates may sometimes be caused by small differences in URLs such as those between a “www” and a “non-www” or a “https” and a “http” URL. 

For example:

• https://example.com/page
• https://www.example.com/page

Such may appear the same, but unless redirected correctly, search engines consider them to be different pages.

Printer-Friendly or Mobile Versions

The separate URL of printer friendly or mobile versions of your pages may result in content duplication in case the text is identical.

Product Pages with Similar Descriptions

Products on e-commerce websites tend to be replicated in the form of manufacturer descriptions. When hundreds of online shops do this, then the same content will be copied all over the internet.

Content Syndication

When your articles are republished by other sites and there is no appropriate use of attribution or canonical tags, then your original version may not be as ranked as the copied version.

Session IDs and Tracking Parameters

In some cases, URLs vary due to tracking codes or session numbers which end up giving a different page of the same page.

How to Fix Duplicate Content Issues

It is good because duplicate content issues can be corrected using the appropriate SEO tactics. 

Here are some proven methods:

Use 301 Redirects

When you have more than one page of similar content, then you can use 301 redirects to direct the visitors and the search engines to the original and favored page. This brings ranking signals together and removes confusion.

Add Canonical Tags

A canonical tag informs the search engines which page is to be regarded as the “master one. This comes in handy especially when you have related pages like product listings with slight differences.

Be Careful with Content Syndication

In case you want others to republish your work, it is necessary to provide them with a canonical link to your original page or add a no index tag to avoid the indexing of duplicates.

Rewrite and Differentiate Content

Rather than stealing the materials of other websites or using the same descriptions, compose your own, helpful and detailed materials. Include some personal comments, product comparison, or user-created reviews so that every page is unique.

Manage URL Parameters

Direct Google Search Engine URL Parameters Tool or the CMS settings of your site to instruct search engines on the management of alternative versions of the URLs.

Best Practices to Avoid Duplicate Content

• Meta titles and descriptions should be unique to each page.
• Internal linking should be used sparingly to direct the search engines to the desirable URLs.
• Do not post the same blog message on different platforms.
• Periodically test your site with search engine technology to identify and correct duplicate pages.
• Always make your content new and relevant so that you can be visible in search.

 Bill Yeager, Co-Owner of High Point SEO & Marketing in CT, is a leading SEO specialist, Amazon international best-selling author of the book Unleash Your Internal Drive, Facebook public figure, a marketing genius, and an authority in the digital space. He has been personally coached by Tony Robbins, a fire walker and a student of Dan Kennedy, Founder of Magnetic Marketing. Bill has been on several popular podcasts and the news including Sharkpreneur with Kevin Harrington, FOX, NBC, and ABC by way of his Secret Sauce marketing strategies. Bill enjoys fitness, cars, and spending time with his family when not at work.