How to Avoid Duplication on A Website

What is Duplicate Content?

Duplicate content is the presence of similar or identical content on multiple web pages within the same website or across different websites. This can occur unintentionally or intentionally, and it can have negative effects on a website's search engine optimization (SEO) and overall user experience.

Types of Duplicate Content

Internal Duplicate Content

This type of duplicate content is when the same or very similar content is present within one website. This might happen because of CMS settings, session IDs, or other technical issues. 

External Duplicate Content

This involves the same or similar content on different websites. This may happen when content is copied across multiple sites without attribution or canonical tags.

Consequences of Duplicate Content

Search engines deliver the most relevant search results to users. Duplicate content can confuse search engines in choosing which page to rank for, leading to a lower search ranking or deindexing of pages. Search engines might choose to show only one version of the content in the results or penalize the website's search visibility when there’s duplicate content.

How to Avoid Duplicate Content

Avoiding duplicate content is crucial for your website. Use these tricks to help avoid the negative consequences:

Canonical Tags

Think of canonical tags as signposts for search engines. They show the main version of a page you want Google to pay attention to. By putting these tags on your preferred pages, you help search engines avoid getting confused by similar content spread across different URLs.

URL Redirects

These redirects guide web browsers and search engines from one URL to another. When you have multiple URLs with similar or identical content, using redirects can help you avoid duplicate content issues by making sure all traffic is directed to a single, preferred page URL.

Format Internal Links

Formatting internal links guides users and search engines to the correct and preferred versions of your pages. This helps to avoid duplicate content issues by ensuring that all internal links point to the same canonical (main) version of a page.

Create Unique Content

Creating unique content is the best way to avoid duplication on your website. After all, your brand is unique, and we want your users to be aware of this. 

Monitor and Audit Your Website

By checking your website often, you catch any sneaky duplicates trying to hide. When you clean up duplicates and fix them, your website stays organized, and search engines understand what's most important on your site.

Global Reach Can Help You Avoid Duplicate Content

Global Reach has a variety of tools and services to help you avoid the negative impacts of duplicate content on your website. From our detailed analysis and reporting services to pinpoint duplicated content on your website, to a staff of talented copywriters to generate fresh, original, and optimized content, Global Reach has your online content needs covered. Contact us today to set up a consultation.