Putting the "duplicate content penalty" issue to bed!

[Steven Carl Kelly]

If you've never seen this before, I thought you might be interested. It comes from Google themselves:

"Duplicate content. There's just something about it. We keep writing about it, and people keep asking about it. In particular, I still hear a lot of webmasters worrying about whether they may have a "duplicate content penalty."

Let's put this to bed once and for all, folks: There's no such thing as a "duplicate content penalty." At least, not in the way most people mean when they say that."

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Demystifying the "duplicate content penalty"

[Steve Peters Benn]

Amen to that. I'd like to say it would help but it won't - it's one of those things that doesn't die.

[Kay King]

Good luck with putting this one to bed - I've been trying to do that here for at least two years!

kay

[Glenn Leader]

I've been banging about this topic for years...I have proven the OP point time after
time... and yet, people still will ask this very question, and others will comment opinion
that is contrary to what has already been proven.

Glenn

[Steve Crooks]

The duplicate content argument just never seems to go away even when you hear it from the horses mouth. I have many articles that I have used from article directories that not only outrank the authors own ezine submission but also ranks really well for it's target keyword as well. Thanks for posting the link to Google's explanation but I am sure the same arguments will come back time and time again.

[kurt naulaerts]

Steven, what have you done!?

I can prove that coffee is not a healthy drink, I can give you scientific proof that coffee helps to avoid alzheimer.

Almost all dermatologists say that chocolate does not affect acne, I'm living proof (have been) that chocolate can have a very bad effect indeed!

I can show you my own websites filled with duplicate content that have no rankings at all, I can show you articles from EZA on my sites that pull in 100 visitors a day.

Keep the discussion alive!

Kurt

[cashcow]

We keep putting this issue to bed, but it keeps getting up in the middle of the night.....

[bgmacaw]

Originally Posted by kurt naulaerts

I can show you my own websites filled with duplicate content that have no rankings at all, I can show you articles from EZA on my sites that pull in 100 visitors a day.

Likewise, I could show you original content that doesn't rank for anything and dupe content that gets 100's of visitors a day.

Basically it comes down to site authority and trust, which is based on the quality and quantity of incoming links, how related the incoming links are to the target keyword, domain age, internal SEO factors especially the title tag and keyword relevance, domain URL name and some other minor factors.

[Kevin Lam]

Well, maybe it will take another century before they catch on. I mean, hey, our ancestors use to think the world was flat and people still think Michael Jackson is black. They'll eventually learn.

[SMS]

The Duplicate Content debate will never go away simply because there are parties that have a vested interest in keeping it alive.

Sad but true.

[The Expert]

I think it's very funny that this post is actually surrounded by like, 7 other posts from people worried about being issued duplicate content penalties.

This is one of those things that I don't belive will ever go away.

Some even make money off this fear. Like article distribution services that let you "spin" articles in an effort to try and dodge the duplicate content penalty. They tell you how great their service is because you can re-write your article and have it randomized. In reality, it's just a waste of time to do that.

Your article will show high from one of the authority article directories and the others will be stuffed to the bottom of the pile.

Everyone needs to just build a bridge over this one.

[SMS]

Truer words have rarely been spoken.

I deal with this very subject in my report, "The Irrefutable Laws Of Duplicate Content".

It's like a battle between two gladiators... I call it 'The Purveyors' Vs 'The Vendors'. A fight to the finish.

Originally Posted by The Expert

I think it's very funny that this post is actually surrounded by like, 7 other posts from people worried about being issued duplicate content penalties.

This is one of those things that I don't belive will ever go away.

Some even make money off this fear. Like article distribution services that let you "spin" articles in an effort to try and dodge the duplicate content penalty. They tell you how great their service is because you can re-write your article and have it randomized. In reality, it's just a waste of time to do that.

Your article will show high from one of the authority article directories and the others will be stuffed to the bottom of the pile.

Everyone needs to just build a bridge over this one.

[rtrotter]

Originally Posted by Steven Carl Kelly

... At least, not in the way most people mean when they say that.

The real discussion should differentiate between on-site duplicate content and duplicate content across domains. Duplicate content across domains is not an issue in regard to a penalty. Build links to your's better than the other copy and you will rank the duplicate content.

The on-site duplicate content is an issue. Just try to get a double listing in Google using duplicate content on your site. It will not work.

Rodney

[Steven Carl Kelly]

Originally Posted by rtrotter

The on-site duplicate content is an issue. Just try to get a double listing in Google using duplicate content on your site. It will not work.

I don't see it as an issue, I see it as a bad practice in general and really something you should avoid doing as a whole.

[SMS]

Why would anybody want to have two pages that are identical on their site... and more so why would they want both listed in Google - if they are identical.

The accepted advice is to use robots.txt to hide pages (from the bots) where it's inevitable to have duplicate content within a domain e.g with blogs. Am I missing sommink here?

Originally Posted by rtrotter

...

The on-site duplicate content is an issue. Just try to get a double listing in Google using duplicate content on your site. It will not work.

Rodney

[rtrotter]

I completely agree it does not make sense to have duplicate content on-site but just used that as example of how Google views it in regard to the "duplicate content debate." When people say duplicate content is not an issue it is just not true in regard to on-site duplicate content. Only true in regard to cross domain duplicate content.

The main issues with on-site duplicate content are 1. bad user experience, 2. Google will ignore duplicate page and eliminate your ability to use it in PR sculpting and 3. any external links done to aid ranking of another site are useless.

To have a debate about duplicate content and not split the context in which it is being discussed between on-site and cross domain is a waste of time.

Rodney

[Michael Nguyen]

put it this way, those that worry about duplicate content will just have to work hard to make their money while we go the easy route. I know which one I'll choose.

[UBotBuddy]

Same ole subject. Blah blah blah.

Next thing you know Elvis will be in here adding threads as well as JFK and a few Aliens trying to fund their invasion.