uplicate content is when the same (or very similar) content appears on more than one page—either on your own site or across different websites. And while it’s not a penalty in itself, it can confuse search engines, dilute your rankings, and cause you to compete with yourself.
In SEO, clarity matters. Google wants to know which version of the content is the “main” one. If it finds multiple near-identical pages, it might:
- Rank the wrong one
- Show none of them
- Split ranking signals (backlinks, engagement, etc.)
Where duplicate content happens
- Blog posts copied across websites (syndicated content)
- Service pages targeting different locations with only slight changes
- Print-friendly versions of the same page
- Pagination and sorting URLs (e.g.
?sort=price) - Product listings across multiple platforms (e.g. your site + Amazon)
How to handle it
- Use canonical tags to tell Google which version to index
- Set up proper 301 redirects for outdated or duplicate URLs
- Consolidate thin pages into one high-quality resource
- Use the rel=”prev/next” tag for paginated content (where appropriate)
- For syndicated content, request that the publisher uses a canonical link back to your original
What not to worry about
- Common phrases across your site
- Legal disclaimers or contact info that repeat on multiple pages
Google is smart enough to distinguish that from true duplication.
Bottom line
Duplicate content isn’t about copying and pasting a paragraph—it’s about structure and intent. Clean it up, consolidate where it makes sense, and guide search engines toward your best, most relevant content.
