Content: What is considered duplicate content?
Duplicate content refers to content that appears on multiple pages across the internet. It can also refer to content that is copied from one source and published on another site without proper attribution or permission.
There are several different types of duplicate content, including:
Does duplicate content matter?
The main problem with duplicate content is that search engines can’t determine which version is the original and which ones are copies. This results in the search engine picking one version to rank and completely disregarding the rest, causing your other pages to become practically invisible in the SERPs. Moreover, search engines may also perceive your content as spam, causing a penalty on your website altogether.
As mentioned above, there are several reasons why duplicate content can arise on your website, such as similar product descriptions or multiple versions of the same article on different domains. However, there are simple ways to avoid duplicate content, such as canonical tags and redirecting duplicate pages to the original one. By following best practices and regularly reviewing your website, you can easily avoid this issue and stay on top of the SERPs.
Related: Canonical Tags: What is a Canonical Tag?
Related: Redirects: 301, 302 and meta refresh