15 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
15 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Syndicating Content

by Michael Levanduski
11 replies
Other than getting free, quality content, are there any benefits to placing syndicated content on a website? Are there any down sides to it?

If I had a site which was filled with mostly or even all syndicated content (with proper credit, approval, ect for using the content) would that be a bad thing?

I'm thinking of starting a site in a new niche at some point, but I don't have the time to do all the writing myself. I'm thinking I'd use syndicated content to provide value to readers, then spend my time on marketing and promoting the site to get people to come (and buy stuff).

Michael
#content #syndicating
  • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
    Banned
    Originally Posted by Michael Levanduski View Post

    Other than getting free, quality content, are there any benefits to placing syndicated content on a website?
    None that spring to mind. People who syndicate content do so because they need the content, for their visitors/readers.

    Originally Posted by Michael Levanduski View Post

    Are there any down sides to it?
    Again, none that spring to mind. Many of the world's leading news and sports websites are doing it every day of the week, and countless authority sites do it very regularly, so it's not easy to envisage downsides, really ...

    Originally Posted by Michael Levanduski View Post

    If I had a site which was filled with mostly or even all syndicated content (with proper credit, approval, ect for using the content) would that be a bad thing?
    It wouldn't help your SEO a lot, compared with a mixture of syndicated and unique content. But people who syndicate content aren't doing so in the hope of SEO advantages: they're doing it because they want the content.

    (Unless your site is the one accumulating the initial indexation-rights, of course, and it's subsequently being syndicated elsewhere, as is the case with article marketers' own sites. That's gradually, collectively, very good for your SEO - as so many of us can vouch for - but that's clearly the opposite situation to the one you're asking about).

    Originally Posted by Michael Levanduski View Post

    I'm thinking of starting a site in a new niche at some point, but I don't have the time to do all the writing myself.
    Can you do some of it? That's probably better, overall, than publishing only syndicated content, but there are no "penalties" or anything of the kind, even for doing that.

    Originally Posted by Michael Levanduski View Post

    I'm thinking I'd use syndicated content to provide value to readers, then spend my time on marketing and promoting the site to get people to come (and buy stuff).
    It's absolutely fine, as long as you're not specifically aiming to get search engine traffic out of it, (you might actually get some, because things don't always work exactly as they're supposed to, but in theory you probably won't), and as long as you always have the copyright-owner's permission to publish the content, obviously, but you know this part already.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8523468].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jgant
    I syndicate some content ... or at least curate stuff my audience likes.

    It's the way to go. I love it. I maybe write 1 to 3 articles the week when I just can't help myself on the topic - otherwise I syndicate and curate. It's fantastic, but still a lot of work - finding worthy content mostly.

    Many warriors struggle finding websites to accept their content for article syndication; interestingly I have the opposite problem. I have a hard time finding quality articles for my site ... but I'll take anything and everything I can get my hands on (that's good) because my audience visits frequently and loves good stuff.

    I've approached 30 plus quality websites in my niche asking to be able to syndicate their work and was rejected across the board. I told them I'll be sending them a flood of traffic, but they still didn't want to do it ... so it can be difficult.

    I spent a bit of time on EZA (to syndicate content on my site from EZA) but it's mostly junk so I don't bother anymore.

    More often than not I curate with an editorial and links out to good stuff my audience wants to read. I drop in a video or two (or several) from YouTube as well.

    Speaking of video - YouTube is a content syndication goldmine. I embed vids daily. I view myself as a finder of the best-of-the-best in my niche and share it with my email subscribers and audience.

    When I started this model I was concerned readers would find the curation model distasteful, but they don't. I get thanked all the time for finding great stuff and for thinking up interesting topics that when confronted, they think "that's an interesting question ... I'll check it out." That's my job - find interesting angles on topics in the niche and get the content. In rare instances I'll create the content - but I always search in Google and find stuff that I can link out to.

    As Alexa said, search engine traffic is non-existent. That's the case for me, but I don't care because I have 10 times more traffic from other sources who engage than I ever did from SEO (I used to focus on SEO). My biggest challenge each day is finding really great stuff to share with my audience.

    Fortunately I like my niche so I view my job as surfing the web looking for good stuff. That's it. In the process I get visitors to my site who spend far more time there than SEO traffic (I still like SEO but for very specific purposes such as local business promotion) and engage quite a bit more. I also have much higher subscriber rates with non-SEO traffic (mostly social traffic) because they're repeat visitors and trust is built up over several visits.
    Signature
    How I hit $10,000+ per month very fast w/ 1 niche blog - Click Here to learn more (no opt-in).
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8524250].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Danny Cutts
      Originally Posted by jgant View Post

      I syndicate some content ... or at least curate stuff my audience likes.

      It's the way to go. I love it. I maybe write 1 to 3 articles the week when I just can't help myself on the topic - otherwise I syndicate and curate. It's fantastic, but still a lot of work - finding worthy content mostly.

      Many warriors struggle finding websites to accept their content for article syndication; interestingly I have the opposite problem. I have a hard time finding quality articles for my site ... but I'll take anything and everything I can get my hands on (that's good) because my audience visits frequently and loves good stuff.

      I've approached 30 plus quality websites in my niche asking to be able to syndicate their work and was rejected across the board. I told them I'll be sending them a flood of traffic, but they still didn't want to do it ... so it can be difficult.

      I spent a bit of time on EZA (to syndicate content on my site from EZA) but it's mostly junk so I don't bother anymore.

      More often than not I curate with an editorial and links out to good stuff my audience wants to read. I drop in a video or two (or several) from YouTube as well.

      Speaking of video - YouTube is a content syndication goldmine. I embed vids daily. I view myself as a finder of the best-of-the-best in my niche and share it with my email subscribers and audience.

      When I started this model I was concerned readers would find the curation model distasteful, but they don't. I get thanked all the time for finding great stuff and for thinking up interesting topics that when confronted, they think "that's an interesting question ... I'll check it out." That's my job - find interesting angles on topics in the niche and get the content. In rare instances I'll create the content - but I always search in Google and find stuff that I can link out to.

      As Alexa said, search engine traffic is non-existent. That's the case for me, but I don't care because I have 10 times more traffic from other sources who engage than I ever did from SEO (I used to focus on SEO). My biggest challenge each day is finding really great stuff to share with my audience.

      Fortunately I like my niche so I view my job as surfing the web looking for good stuff. That's it. In the process I get visitors to my site who spend far more time there than SEO traffic (I still like SEO but for very specific purposes such as local business promotion) and engage quite a bit more. I also have much higher subscriber rates with non-SEO traffic (mostly social traffic) because they're repeat visitors and trust is built up over several visits.
      Nicely answered :-)

      I have a site in a niche (that I am an authority) and all the big companies release press releases and because I am exceptionally quick at getting their news on my site (often before they do) I get all the credit for their content :-)

      I often out rank them for their news :-)

      I dont let on to the companies that this is the why I am so quick at publishing :-) They think its great and thank me for making it live so efficiently :-)

      If you have a reader base then syndicated content will help engage your readers but other than that I cant see any other benefits :-)

      You cant beat fresh content though :-)

      Danny

      PS and these are from the words of someone who made £££££'s from autoblogging :-)
      Signature
      Come and See me on Facebook... Come and See me at my blog...
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8524665].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
        Some of my best content providers are the PR/Media people for the major players in my niches.

        Some press releases are good enough to use as-is, with a simple introduction or editorial comment. Others can be incorporated into original articles. There's little worry about infringement or plagiarism complaints, as these companies want you to post their content or use it in your own. That's why they send it out.

        In addition, if you send regular newsletters, these can be a godsend when you hit that "I don't know what to write about" wall - and you will hit it if you publish long enough.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526277].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author onlineinternetbiz
      Originally Posted by jgant View Post

      I syndicate some content ... or at least curate stuff my audience likes.

      It's the way to go. I love it. I maybe write 1 to 3 articles the week when I just can't help myself on the topic - otherwise I syndicate and curate. It's fantastic, but still a lot of work - finding worthy content mostly.

      Many warriors struggle finding websites to accept their content for article syndication; interestingly I have the opposite problem. I have a hard time finding quality articles for my site ... but I'll take anything and everything I can get my hands on (that's good) because my audience visits frequently and loves good stuff.

      I've approached 30 plus quality websites in my niche asking to be able to syndicate their work and was rejected across the board. I told them I'll be sending them a flood of traffic, but they still didn't want to do it ... so it can be difficult.

      I spent a bit of time on EZA (to syndicate content on my site from EZA) but it's mostly junk so I don't bother anymore.

      More often than not I curate with an editorial and links out to good stuff my audience wants to read. I drop in a video or two (or several) from YouTube as well.

      Speaking of video - YouTube is a content syndication goldmine. I embed vids daily. I view myself as a finder of the best-of-the-best in my niche and share it with my email subscribers and audience.

      When I started this model I was concerned readers would find the curation model distasteful, but they don't. I get thanked all the time for finding great stuff and for thinking up interesting topics that when confronted, they think "that's an interesting question ... I'll check it out." That's my job - find interesting angles on topics in the niche and get the content. In rare instances I'll create the content - but I always search in Google and find stuff that I can link out to.

      As Alexa said, search engine traffic is non-existent. That's the case for me, but I don't care because I have 10 times more traffic from other sources who engage than I ever did from SEO (I used to focus on SEO). My biggest challenge each day is finding really great stuff to share with my audience.

      Fortunately I like my niche so I view my job as surfing the web looking for good stuff. That's it. In the process I get visitors to my site who spend far more time there than SEO traffic (I still like SEO but for very specific purposes such as local business promotion) and engage quite a bit more. I also have much higher subscriber rates with non-SEO traffic (mostly social traffic) because they're repeat visitors and trust is built up over several visits.

      I am going to do my own syndication here This post is spot on and let me tell you why and my theory behind it.

      If you search for anything on the internet today you can find a billion different sites that all have an opinion. People like you, me and everyone else on the internet are looking for someone to help us filter through that.

      I believe blogs and sites are a lot different now than they used to be. We used to create content so that people could come find what they needed. Those days are pretty much gone, you can find whatever you need.

      Now what our audiences are looking for is someone to pick through all that and give us the best. It may not be your work... so what? If it is the best I am going to keep coming back to that site over and over again. I don't care who wrote it, what I care about is a one stop shop that fits my needs. That is what a blog is today.

      The statement that you are the best at finding videos in your Niche is EXACTLY what an audience needs today, hands down.

      Syndication is part of that, and even your unique content could be an amassing of the best ideas on the internet. That's exactly how I see myself on my blogs. A person who is filtering all the stuff on the internet in one easy to use place, and if you are here and reading my stuff, you don't need to go anywhere else to read it.
      Signature
      Self Help, Goal Setting, Time Management - It's all right here
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526728].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author dgiles63
    Syndicated content won't get you search traffic. Curated content will. You can nab a chunk of content from another website, give them credit for the content, then add your review or comments. Throw in a picture, and you have good, relevant, content for your site. You still need to add a good chunk of unique content, but it requires less writing.
    Signature

    Dean Giles
    Instant Profit with Step-by-Step Books
    Or Profit with
    Google Keyword Planner Exploited

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526343].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Originally Posted by dgiles63 View Post

      Syndicated content won't get you search traffic. Curated content will. You can nab a chunk of content from another website, give them credit for the content, then add your review or comments. Throw in a picture, and you have good, relevant, content for your site. You still need to add a good chunk of unique content, but it requires less writing.
      Dean, correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you think that the sole purpose of posting content on your site is to please search algorithms.

      There are other reasons, including building authority with human readers by filtering out some of the crap they would otherwise have to filter for themselves, becoming a one-stop destination for valuable content, even honoring another spider-pleaser in adding fresh content and linking out to the source company of a media release.

      I would never tell someone to build a site purely from syndicated content. But a good mix of syndicated, curated and original content can work very well for pleasing both humans and spiders.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526386].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
      Banned
      Originally Posted by dgiles63 View Post

      Syndicated content won't get you search traffic.
      It isn't supposed to.

      People don't syndicate content because they want to get search engine traffic by publishing it: they syndicate content because it's content they want to share with their exisiting readers/visitors/subscribers.

      Originally Posted by dgiles63 View Post

      You can nab a chunk of content from another website, give them credit for the content, then add your review or comments.
      In the words in which it's offered, this is rather dangerous advice! "Nab" content from any of my sites without my permission and I might serve a DMCA site takedown notice by email on your hosting company so fast you won't know what's hit you.

      There's a lot of copyright theft going on in the name of "collating". :p

      Some of it's being done by people who read posts like the one you just made above, and think to themselves something like "It must be true: I read it in the Warrior Forum".

      Some people are actually naive enough (perhaps partly because they got their "information" from people promoting collation software or services) to imagine that crediting the original site for the content somehow, magically, necessarily makes it something other than theft and necessarily legitimizes it. It doesn't. As many of those people have found out to their cost. :rolleyes:
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526675].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author onlineinternetbiz
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It isn't supposed to.

        People don't syndicate content because they want to get search engine traffic from it. They syndicate content because it's content they want to share with their exisiting readers/visitors/subscribers.



        In the words in which it's offered, this is rather dangerous advice! "Nab" content from any of my sites without my permission and I might serve a DMCA site takedown notice by email on your hosting company so fast you won't know what's hit you.

        There's a lot of copyright theft going on in the name of "collating". :p

        Some of it's being done by people who read posts like the one you just made above, and think to themselves something like "It must be true: I read it in the Warrior Forum".

        Some people are actually naive enough (perhaps partly because they got their "information" from people promoting collation software or services) to imagine that crediting the original site for the content somehow, magically, necessarily makes it something other than theft and necessarily legitimizes it. It doesn't. As many of those people have found out to their cost. :rolleyes:
        In most cases you are fine in syndication if you follow two rules which relate:
        1. Cite the original source.
        2. Don't claim work that is not yours as yours.
        Signature
        Self Help, Goal Setting, Time Management - It's all right here
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526732].message }}
        • Profile picture of the author Alexa Smith
          Banned
          Originally Posted by onlineinternetbiz View Post

          In most cases you are fine in syndication if you follow two rules which relate:
          1. Cite the original source.
          2. Don't claim work that is not yours as yours.
          This is wrong.

          It's widely believed, but it's misinformation. It's incorrect. It's misleading. It's mistaken. It's erroneous. How many ways do you want me to say it? I can only repeat what's in my post above, and that I urge Warriors reading this thread not to rely on your advice. When their website's suddenly taken down by their hosting company, or they're sued, it won't help them very much that you told them "in most cases they're fine if they cite the original source and don't claim as theirs what isn't theirs". (And anyway how about all the other cases that aren't "most" cases?!).

          I'm not making some theoretical, abstract, legalistic point, here, just for the sake of argument. This actually happens. I'm sorry to say that I have myself had occasion to serve DMCA notices on the hosts of people who do this (and don't respond to the preliminary inquiry/warning which I actually always send, though I have no obligation to), and their websites are taken offline.

          So you might want to re-think the advice you're offering people, here, I think?

          The people selling collation software and/or collation services don't tell you about that part, do they? They tell you exactly what you yourself have just said, above. Which is why people need to be careful by whose advice they decide to be guided. If your hosting company takes your site offline, or you get taken to court, it won't help you to say "But it must be true: I read it in the Warrior Forum".
          {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526759].message }}
      • Profile picture of the author CyberSEO
        Originally Posted by Alexa Smith View Post

        It isn't supposed to.

        People don't syndicate content because they want to get search engine traffic from it. They syndicate content because it's content they want to share with their exisiting readers/visitors/subscribers.
        There is no contradiction. You can syndicate content to share it with visitors and expect a good, high and stable traffic from search engines. Just do it properly and you'll be fine
        Signature
        CyberSEO Pro - the ultimate AI autoblogging and RSS, XML, HTML, JSON and CSV import plugin for WordPress with support for OpenAI o1, Claude, Gemini, Llama 3, Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion and more.
        {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[8526755].message }}

Trending Topics