Duplicate Content

Duplicate content refers to content (or web pages) that is completely or almost identical. Even individual text passages on a page can be referred to as duplicate content if they not only appear repeatedly but are also consistently formulated similarly. Duplicate content is harmful to search engine optimization. In the worst case, such content can lead to ranking losses for pages on search engines like Google or even their removal from the index. This applies both if content copies are found under a URL or domain, as well as if content has been taken from an external page.

The problem with pages with duplicate content for SEO

Search engines, especially Google, aim to provide their users only with the best results. They evaluate website content based on its quality and uniqueness. If pages with two identical results appear in the SERPs, it is not helpful for the searcher and thus not beneficial for SEO results. If duplicate or even multiple content appears within a URL or domain, it can be disastrous for the entire website. The Google algorithm cannot determine which page should receive the ranking when faced with repetitive pages optimized for the same keyword. This leads to pages being downgraded in ranking. In severe cases, if a website publishes actual plagiarized content, it may even be removed from the search engine's index.

If you want to avoid duplicate content, you must understand how such content comes about. Duplicate content can be the result of deliberate manipulations (by webmasters or third parties), ignorance of the content requirements for search engine optimized content (e.g., uniform manufacturer descriptions in different online shops), or technical errors. The latter cause is particularly tricky because many inexperienced webmasters are unaware of it. On the technical side, duplicate content can arise from session IDs, print versions of web pages, URLs with and without www, or with parameters. Often, the cause of duplicate content is the webmaster's lack of knowledge. Manipulations are generally less common.

Find and Avoid Duplicate Content: Better Results in Search Engine Optimization

But how can you find out if a page has duplicate content? Whether search engines have found duplicate content can be found out relatively easily: simply copy a passage of text from content into the search. If more than one result is displayed, it seems to be duplicate content. Now you need to find out where the causes for recycled content lie and eliminate them – for example, through consistent internal linking, setting the canonical tag, or correct redirects after a relaunch. A crucial factor in avoiding duplicate content is certainly creating unique content for each page. The biggest problem for online shops is with the sheer amount of products, which leads to the temptation to rely on conventional manufacturer descriptions. However, many online shops do this, which quickly creates duplicate content. Individual product descriptions are always useful – not only for search engines but also for potential customers who receive additional, new information through unique content. Depending on the scope of your website, as well as time and financial resources, it is advisable to outsource the detection and elimination of duplicate content, possibly in combination with the creation of unique content, to professional search engine optimization agencies. These agencies conduct keyword research for each page, ensure that there is no cannibalization, and create each web content so that it does not compete with the content of other pages.

The fight against duplicate content

It's no secret that Google has long valued content that serves the user. The Google Panda Update was specifically designed to target websites that offer content without added value. Google's Helpful Content Update also pursued this goal. One can assume that this approach by the search engine will be intensified in the future. Every page should offer its unique content as part of the SEO strategy and be aimed at meeting the needs of users.