Web Tune-Up Pros

Content is king.  That’s the most essential fact of Web life.  People don’t visit your site or link to your site if there’s not something there that has value to them (nor will they buy from you if there’s no compelling content).

That being said, I routinely read about and run into a lot of people who are scared to death of “duplicate content.”

What is duplicate content?

Basically, any piece of writing you obtain from another source that’s already online that you run on your site could be considered “duplicate content.”  This is mainly a Googlian thing.

If, however, you read Google’s explanation of duplicate content, the definition refers to “not adding value” (my paraphrase and emphasis) to content on the Web. 

Here, Google is referring to affiliate sites that just repeat the content of their mother sites, threatening them that they will not be indexed because they do not add value–they’re just copycats.  This makes sense. 

Specifically, Google uses the example of hotel booking sites.  If any given site merely repeats a booking function–and content–from another site (the mother lode), that’s not adding value and not worth indexing. But if said booking site adds its own content, then that’s considered to be value-adding and should be indexed. Google uses the example of a site that features the hotel booking function but also provides a guide to the area being booked, restaurants, attractions and the sort.  Value added.

Therefore, the way I read this “duplicate content” issue is simple–if your site has original content and continues to add to it, even though you run some content word for word from elsewhere, you’ll be adding value and thus be okay in the eyes of the modern medieval church known as Google.  You can eventually even go to heaven. 

Let’s face it–CNN, Fox News, AOL and all kinds of sites run Associated Press (AP) stories word for word everyday and don’t get punished for doing so since it’s only part of an overall broader effort.  So that’s what you should aim for–integrating others’ content, even if word for word (I always write a new lead just to make it a bit different), into your otherwise original content.

Content is king.  Remember that.  But using others’ work in the mix is certainly no sin; just avoid copycat sites (or spam the heck out of them before you get caught–LOL!). Content should be aimed at readers, not searchbots.  If you do that, you’ll be okay.

Tags: duplicate content