28 Dec Overcoming the Duplicate Content Myth
How to Overcome the Duplicate Content Myth
By Paul Barrs
For many years now in the arenas of SEO the phrase “Duplicate Content” has been widely discussed, debated, agreed and disagreed on. I’d even go so far as to say that there are few SEO topics that have brought about so much conflict in IM circles.
However, when it comes down to it – no matter what your ‘opinions’ of duplicate content are, there is but ONE SINGLE UNDENIABLE STRATEGY which guarantees you only ever publish non-duplicated content; and that is to write your own web page content and lock your pages up so that they can’t be copied, scraped or curatted. Ha! Kinda defeats the purpose doesn’t it.
But there’s another thing, even when you do write your own content, it’s not likely to be long before some low-life scrapes your content and (if it’s any good) and it begins to appear on other people web pages.
There’s also the time factor; I have no problem admitting that from time to time I will publish articles that I have not written on my website – I won’t put my *name* to them – but I will publish them. And yes, even articles that I’ve purchased under license, or articles that I’ve had written for me.
Which can open up yet another content can of worms! Let me explain….
Do you have any PLR reports on your hard drive? Go and open up one or two and copy the title or opening few sentences into Google in an “exact match search”; it’s very likely that you will find anywhere from hundreds to even thousands of other websites who have already published that content – ouch!
So is there any point in you publishing it as well? No, not really, not when we’re talking about those kinds of numbers. But when it comes to smaller numbers the answer is a definite yes.
Here’s the thing; unless you’re willing to pay the extra fees to have content written for you EXCLUSIVELY or put in the effort to WRITE FOR YOURSELF, 90% of the time the articles that you buy will be on-sold to other parties as well. That’s the nature of the article marketing business.
- Sidebar: I recently purchased a few article packs under the licence agreement that I would be the first one to get them; but for only $47 / 40 x (500 word) articles, I know that these article packs will also be picked up by other marketers as well.
So how do I avoid any duplicate content penalties, if indeed such penalties really exist? Simple… I AVOID the very thing that Google is looking for – duplicate web-SITES that share duplicate content!
Don’t believe me? Do a search online for any of today’s top news stories; you’ll find the whole first page of search engine results are filled with multiple website all publishing the same content – the content is fine – because it’s the WEBSITES THAT ARE DIFFERENT. Get it?
So when it comes to outsourcing article writing for my ‘article sites’… how do I avoid these sites ending up even remotely similar to others where the same articles have been published?
I have three different writers.
Yep, three different writers from whom I request targeted articles on different niche markets. That way I can build a complete website and populate it with outsourced content that while even though some of the CONTENT may be similar to others pages online, the WEBSITE ITSELF is vastly different.
And there’s the key. Don’t source all your articles from the same place.
Action Tip: Have you got five minutes? Sit down now in front of your computer and search out at least 5 different places you can source writers who will write new content for you. I can think of a couple of the top of my head… Warrior Forum, Elance, Guru.com – do you think that any of these people could create low priced article packs? Then there’s your starting point, go to it!
