If there is one thing search engines hate, it is plagiarism, which also comes in many forms. You can copy works from other people or yourself, but in the end, your unethical efforts will only put your reputation at risk!
One example of plagiarism in the digital marketing industry is duplicate content. In the field of search engine optimisation (SEO), duplicate content refers to content that appears on one or more web pages. Besides being a form of plagiarism, duplicate content is considered unethical because of its effects on search engines.
What Is Duplicate Content?
Whenever a search engine like Google spots several web pages with similar content, it gets confused in trying to rank one page higher than the other. As a result, pages with duplicate content lack the credibility to rank higher on search engines.
Copying content from other web pages does not automatically result in a penalty, as Google knows that forums and communities discuss similar topics and reference one another.
However, Google knows when a web page is using duplicate content to manipulate its search engine algorithms. For that reason, you should avoid copying content from other pages on purpose as much as possible.
Also, keep in mind that there are two types of duplicate content: internal and external.
Internal duplicate content refers to copying from the same website or domain. On the other hand, external duplicate content refers to web pages from different sites having similar content.
In general, if you wish to improve your SEO rankings, avoiding duplicate content is a must. Not only will it keep your SEO safe and secure at the top, but it will also help you maintain your online reputation.
Why is duplicate content a danger to your SEO anyway?
The Effects Of Duplicate Content To Your SEO
1. Difficulty In Ranking Higher
There is no official penalty for duplicating content from internal or external web pages. On the downside, a web page with duplicate content will have trouble ranking higher than similar web pages.
Web pages with duplicate content confuse Google, making it harder for the search engine to distinguish which one should rank higher than the other. If your website contains similar content from another domain, you might find it hard to improve your SEO rankings.
Make it easier for Google to rank your SEO by creating original content for your website. You can still gather references and relevant information from reliable sources, as long as you write them down in your own words.
2. Get Lost In A Sea Of Search Results
Since Google has trouble evaluating web pages with duplicate content, there is a high chance that copying from other domains will result in losing your spot and getting lost in a sea of search results. Copying content from other websites will only negatively impact your SEO rankings.
Search engines like Google define the quality of a page’s content depending on its relevance and originality. If you lack both of these mentioned factors, then your page will only confuse search engines and make it harder to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs).
3. Tarnish Your Reputation
Duplicate content will not just affect search engines but also people who discover web pages that contain plagiarism, whether it was purposely done or not. Either way, copying content from other web pages is a sure-fire way to tarnish your online reputation.
Establish your credibility and authority by making sure your content is original and unique. There is nothing wrong with citing sources and references, as long as you create content with your own words and thoughts.
How To Avoid Duplicate Content?
Managing your SEO rankings is a top priority. To do so, you need to avoid creating duplicate content. Fortunately, it is quite easy to achieve a high SEO ranking without copying content from other pages.
The trick to improving your SEO is by focusing on the quality of your content, not the quantity. Write down your thoughts and creativity in your own words, and cite references from reliable sources to enhance your SEO and achieve higher rankings on search engines.
At first, avoiding duplicate content might seem hard due to countless other web pages containing similar information. But in the long run, you will get used to it and enhance your SEO if you continue to create consistent content. In the end, your hard work will pay off, and search engines like Google will give you a higher SEO ranking!
If you want to get the best results out of your SEO campaign, consider working with a digital marketing agency in Singapore! You can gain additional information about SEO to improve your web visibility and direct traffic to your website.
To get in touch with our SEO company in Singapore and know more about digital marketing, contact OOm at 6391-0930.
