Why Copying Content Is A Bad Idea

Let’s face it: we all love hacks, especially ones that make our life easier. So why shouldn’t we copy content that we like in any way?

  • Duplicate Penalties
  • Dilution Of Search Engine Results
  • Legal Issues

But what if someone is copying your content?

  • You can get in touch with them. A lot of plagiarists do apologise and remove content when caught or pressurised.
  • Get a lawyer. Cease-and-desist letters and the threat of legal action shows that you are serious about protecting your content and makes a plagiarist think twice.
  • Talk to the host. Free tools online like this one can help you figure out who the website host is, and file a complaint with them.

So how can you make sure your content is original?

The easiest way to cut down on copied content is simply not to copy it. But sometimes, we don’t even realise something is duplicated — it can be things like extremely similar product/service descriptions that causes Google to register it as duplicated content.

  • When adding product/service descriptions, try and include more information than just bullet specifications about it. For example, talk about why a customer should buy this from you.
  • Index your site by Google itself. From Google Webmaster Tools (now Search Console), submit your URL to “fetch as Google” for immediate indexing. This tells Google a website belongs to you and is unique.
  • Need to copy content (but legitimately)? Use the canonical tag. This way you tell Google that you’ve duplicated information and place the canonical tag on your page after asking permission from the original content webmaster.

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A Generation Z kid studying sociology and searching for the Fortress of Solitude.

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A. Sharma

A Generation Z kid studying sociology and searching for the Fortress of Solitude.