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Duplicate content on rank and rent websites

by GottaLift
10 replies
  • SEO
    • |
How do the rank and rent websites get away with building basically the same sites for different locations? I just ran across another set of sites for dentists that are duplicate sites as far as content and graphics except for location references. I would think that it would be very difficult to rank these sites with almost identical content to their other sites, but I have seen this more than once. If anyone can shed some light I would appreciate it.
#content #duplicate #rank #rent #websites
  • Profile picture of the author onSubie
    That's not the kind of duplicate content Google punishes you for.

    The penalty Google talks about is for content across the same domain. This can happen with improper set-up of categories and tags.

    Duplicate content on different sites does not directly affect SEO in the same way. If it is wide-spread spam content then the penalty will be a quality of content penalty, which is different than the duplicate content penalty.

    In the example you state there are probably relatively few dentist sites with the same content so it would have no meaningful SEO impact.

    Mahlon
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    • Profile picture of the author master reseller
      Originally Posted by onSubie View Post

      That's not the kind of duplicate content Google punishes you for.

      The penalty Google talks about is for content across the same domain. This can happen with improper set-up of categories and tags.
      Another example of 'duplicate content' that Google penalized was on sites such as eHow, where each page was highly optimized for a slightly different (but related) keyword as the last one. When each page on a site targets a slightly different keyword, the content ends up being very much the same. So for instance, page one targets, 'free dog toys' and page two targets 'free dog toys online'. Such a tiny amount of difference in the long tail keywords so the content on the page is likely to nearly duplicate. This is another example of the duplicate content that was being penalized.

      As for the original post, these duplicate sites you are finding are likely not ranking for any relevant keywords. Though I'm sure they are in Google search. That doesn't mean they are getting traffic.
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    • Profile picture of the author papu
      The penalty Google talks about is for content across the same domain. This can happen with improper set-up of categories and tags.
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  • Profile picture of the author SEO Power
    Content is overrated. Sites do rank with duplicate content but there has to be some level of uniqueness and I'm sure there is in this case. You can also rank a group of similar sites if you know how to rank sites well in Google.
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  • Profile picture of the author Poly Hossain
    Google does not like duplicate content.
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  • Profile picture of the author Eskeyp
    Duplicate content is not desired on the site. As a single domain different pages with the same content, and duplicate content from other sites. For it is likely to be penalty Google
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  • Profile picture of the author GottaLift
    I understand that you don't want duplicate content on different pages of the same domain, but it has always been my understanding that you do not want duplicate content on your site from other sites as well. If not, why do so many SEOs copyscape content when they purchase articles? As master reseller has stated, the end result may be that these sites are not ranking and will not rank for any relevant keywords. My confusion is then why do something so blatantly contrary to the ultimate goal, which is to rank these websites to obtain high levels of traffic? The example I cited involved a very experienced SEO (did a little clandestine research) and website developer who should at least know that fundamental principal. And as I also stated, this is not the first time I have seen this, so either I am missing something or they are basically sabotaging their own sites.
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    • Profile picture of the author paulgl
      Virtually every large, authoritaitve website has duplicate content across the
      same domain. So even that is a nonissue.

      Google talks about trying to shmooze search engines. How they figure this
      out, is open to interpretation, as google is not telling its secrets.

      It's not about tags, site structure, categories, etc. It's about putting the same
      stuff on different pages, hoping to rope in unsuspecting visitors.

      I would assume that, "hoping to rope in unsuspecting visitors" is what you
      should concentrate on NOT doing.

      You have to also know that a lot of those websites, like rent and real estate, are
      owned and operated by a master company. The way the amazon.com owns
      a zillion of websites. Just read recently that zillow is merging with trulia.

      Ever been to gasbuddy.com? Holy cow is that ripe example about how dupe
      content makes it big.

      Google does not hate duplicate content. Never did, never will. Peole just misquote
      google all the time. It's not about dupe content, it's about schmoozing and scheming.
      People leave off the shmoozing and scheming.

      But it's the same with keyword density, anchor text, etc. People give half the story,
      run like chickens, and tell everyone else to run with them.

      Paul
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      • Profile picture of the author raiko
        Hmmm...OP are you talking about a single site that someone ranks in the serps and then rents it out to someone? The dentist in your example I presume? Then they obviously create the exact same site with the same dentist related content but rank it for a different city and then rent that site out to a dentist in that city?

        One thing I've learned over the years is that certain tenets of SEO really aren't that solid. Some are even myths. The problem is that when one person of alleged authority states something as fact a thousand lemmings will hit the forums repeating the statement as if it's gospel. Even if it's not really true to begin with it will gain momentum and become accepted as reality. If you really look around closely though you will find discrepancies and realize that the tenet is really a fiction.

        Quality Content is a perfect example. Start a thread on how to rank your site and you will get a hundred one line posts about how you just have to create quality content because that is what Google likes. Uh-huh. Check the top ten search results for most any keyword and you'll see crappy content. Scroll to page 10 of the serps for that same keyword and there will be sites with fantastic original content that no one really ever sees. Nobody ever talks about what really makes good content. They just parrot the same phrase over and over. Content is King!

        I would guess that duplicate content is similar. There is myth and then there is reality.
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  • Profile picture of the author GottaLift
    To answer raiko's question, yes, clones of the same site are rented out to dentists in different cities. The only difference is the location and phone number on the sites, and obviously the domains which are EMDs.

    So I guess the general consensus is that all is not as it seems in Googleland, and duplicate content is not necessarily a big deal.
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