Google doesn’t penalize because of duplicate content

The primary goal of any website is to provide captivating content that resonates with its audience. However, there are instances where this material may be perceived as duplicate content, essentially identical to material available elsewhere on the internet. This can lead to a decline in traffic from search engines like Google.

Pages that once enjoyed high levels of traffic may gradually lose their appeal, partly due to being flagged as duplicates. But does this imply that Google is penalizing you for having duplicate content?

In short: “No.” Google doesn’t penalize for duplicate content per se. It’s more about how Google presents search results that might give this impression. Experts estimate that around 30% of internet content is duplicated intentionally or inadvertently, leading to identical or similar information across multiple pages.

Duplicate content arises when two or more pages on the internet contain matching material. While some may fear Google penalties for duplicate content on their websites, the reality is more nuanced.

Google’s objective is to provide users with the highest quality search results possible. To achieve this, it must differentiate between closely related content and determine the most relevant for a given query.

Think of it as Google’s challenge to discern the most authoritative source amidst similar content. This can sometimes result in the original content being overshadowed by its duplicates.

Unfortunately, this means that occasionally, original content may be buried while copied versions receive more prominent placement in search results.