Today, the rules of the SEO game set a very clear path: a website’s originality will inevitably lead it to SEO success. That’s an undeniable reality! That’s why, this time, we’ll talk about one of the mistakes you should avoid at all costs: the infamous duplicate content.
To be a little more specific, we should consider the following question: What is duplicate content for Google? Clearly, the term duplicate content refers to plagiarism, or the exact replication of what appears in one URL in another.
In other words, when two pages display partially or completely the same information, at least one of them will have duplicate content. Naturally, Google is able to detect the original URL and focus on those that committed such plagiarism. All of this occurs during the indexing phase.
All of this makes duplicating content a bad idea. Because people want extra value, not just more of the same. Plus, it’s not worth the risk of suffering an almost certain penalty from the multi-platform search engine.
At this point, you’re probably asking yourself: “How do I know if I have duplicate content on my website?” If so, you’ve come to the right place! Below, we’ll tell you everything you need to know to recognize when it’s considered duplicate content and when it isn’t. Read on.
How does duplicate content affect SEO?
As may seem obvious, duplicate content and SEO are concepts that point in different directions. This means that if you really want to rank higher in search engines, one of your priorities will be to check for duplicate content. And then remove it!
But how does duplicate content affect web positioning? We’ll explain it through the following points:
- Google crawlers will prevent any URL with duplicate content from appearing in Google SERPs. But that’s not all! The Panda algorithm also has the power to impose severe penalties if copying becomes routine.
- But it’s not just Google’s algorithms you should fear. In the event of a duplicate content report, Google may assign one of its employees to corroborate the case. In this case, penalties will be imposed manually, and can be even harsher.
When is content considered duplicate?
From a general perspective, it’s normal to understand that duplicate content occurs when two URLs contain the same information. Basic! However, this analysis requires a little more depth.
This is where the distinction between internal and external duplicate content arises. Below, we explain what each of them entails:
Internal duplicate content
Without a doubt, when duplicate content appears within the same domain, it is due to two reasons: inexperience on the part of administrators or errors in managing the range of URLs.
This is what happens with non-canonical domains, where the continuous generation of new pages ends up producing duplications.
The same thing happens when you give Google crawlers access to an unfinished page. Or when you publish the same content to multiple countries.
External duplicate content
This case refers to similar content located on one website and another under completely different management. This means there is no relationship between the two URLs beyond the content match.
Unfortunately, this isn’t a coincidence. External duplicate content is the result of indiscriminate copying. It could be just an isolated fragment or every single block of text. Either way, we’d be talking about a duplicate!
In addition to poorly managed syndication, where you submit your content to other websites that don’t link back to the original author. So be very careful about the websites you link to.
How do I know if I have duplicate content on my website?
Detecting duplicate content is often not as easy as it may seem. This is when a page’s ranking drops, and its owners are unable to recognize what’s happening.
That’s why we always recommend using duplicate content tools. Which ones? Here are some interesting ones we recommend:
- Google Search Console: This tool definitely has it all! So it was only natural that it would also allow you to check for potential duplicate content.
- Siteliner: This page does a great job of fulfilling its purpose. Best of all, it expresses the volume of duplicate content in percentages. Very handy!
- Screaming Frog: This tool is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. You can check up to 500 pages with its free version. This is one of those bargains you can’t pass up.
Tips for fixing duplicate content
- Place the “nofollow” tag on the pages you don’t want Google to crawl.
- Add the “rel_canonical” tag to set Google to index the version of your website.
- Use the “hrflang” tag to tell Google about similar pages targeting audiences in different countries.
- Use 301 redirects to direct Google crawlers through your web pages.
After following all these recommendations, duplicate content is unlikely to remain on your web pages. It’s time to take action!
