What is Duplicate Content?
Duplicate content refers to blocks of text or entire pages that appear in more than one location on the internet or within the same website. This can be identical or very similar content available under multiple URLs, making it difficult for search engines to determine which version to index and rank.
Duplicate content can be:
- Internal: Repeated across different pages on the same site
- External: Copied or scraped across multiple websites
It may be created unintentionally through URL parameters, printer-friendly versions, HTTP vs. HTTPS versions, or syndication.
Why Duplicate Content Matters
Duplicate content can confuse search engines and impact SEO performance. When multiple pages show the same or similar content, search engines may:
- Struggle to decide which page to index
- Choose the wrong page to rank
- Dilute link equity across versions
- Filter all versions from appearing in search
While Google generally does not penalise duplicate content unless it is manipulative, it can still affect rankings and visibility.
Example in Use
An eCommerce site might have multiple URLs for the same product due to tracking parameters or category variations. If all these pages contain the same content and are indexed, search engines may not know which one to prioritise. Using canonical tags or consolidating URLs helps resolve this issue.
Related Terms
- Canonical Tag
- Thin Content
- Content Syndication
- SEO Audit
- Indexing