Duplicate Content

Definition

Duplicate content refers to substantial blocks of content within or across domains which either completely match or are appreciably similar. It’s not always deceptive, and can occur unintentionally on a website for various reasons. This includes instances where similar or identical content appears on multiple URLs, or when two different websites publish the same piece.

Duplicate Content Relevance For SEO

Duplicate content is particularly relevant for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) because search engines strive to provide distinct and relevant content in their results. When duplicate content exists, search engines can get confused about which version is more relevant to a given search query, which can negatively affect the ranking of your content. Too much duplication can also lead to penalties from search engines, limiting a website’s overall visibility and effectiveness.

Duplicate Content Best Practices for SEO

To avoid SEO issues related to duplicate content, several best practices should be followed:

• Use 301 Redirects: If you have duplicate content on different URLs, use a 301 redirect to guide users and search engines to the correct page.
• Use the rel=canonical tag: To signal to search engines which page is the ‘original’ or preferred version, use the rel=canonical tag on your duplicate pages, pointing to the original content.
• Use the Parameter Handling tool (Google): If your site uses URL parameters that result in duplicate content, you can configure Google’s Parameter Handling tool to indicate how you would like these URLs to be crawled.
• Consistently use preferred URL formats: Be consistent in how you link to your site’s internal pages. This includes always using the same form for your URL (with www or without, with trailing slash or without, etc.)