![\"Duplicate](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/duplicate-lattes-example-800px.jpg\")
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It is often said that two are better than one. But in SEO, two webpages that appear too similar can cause double the trouble. This is what we call duplicate content.<\/p>\n
What exactly is duplicate content? Google defines it<\/a> in the following way:<\/p>\n Duplicate content generally refers to substantive blocks of content within or across domains that either completely match other content or are appreciably similar.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n There are things that can cause duplicate content on your website. For example, you could have:<\/p>\n These are all common issues for websites, and you can fix them. For a deeper dive (especially on what types of duplicate content cause problems for SEO<\/a>), I recommend you read our guide on duplicate content<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today, I\u2019m going to dive into how to deal with the issue on a WordPress site specifically. But to start, this video overviews how to get rid of duplicate content on a website:<\/p>\n Now let’s focus on how to avoid duplicate content issues that fall into the category of duplicate meta information<\/em>. And you\u2019ll be able to do this easily with a WordPress SEO plugin.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re already well-versed on meta info and duplicate content issues, you can skip to the next section to learn about how you can fix it with a WordPress SEO plugin.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re still here, let\u2019s talk about the duplicate content issue.<\/p>\n Meta tags<\/a> are on the code side of a webpage. They are meta information (or meta data) about a page, including the title and description. Meta data is one of the first pieces of code that a search engine encounters when it crawls a page.<\/p>\n The meta tags tell the search engine what the page is about. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important that the titles and meta descriptions be accurate and unique within your website.<\/p>\n As smart as Google\u2019s ranking algorithm is at figuring out the topic of a webpage, it still needs help with context. Because it can\u2019t read like you or I can.<\/p>\n So the meta information, especially the meta title, is critical for communicating the topic of the page. This, in turn, helps Google understand that the webpage is a good match for a search query.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a common SEO issue: meta tags on a site have duplicate or similar text. This can be especially true on large websites with hundreds or thousands of webpages.<\/p>\n And it can happen for a variety of reasons. Meta tags may not be a priority; automation software may be used due to too many webpages, and so on.<\/p>\n Regardless of the reason, the same or similar meta tags can cause duplicate content issues within a site. Again, this type of duplicate content is especially important to fix because meta tags are the first chance at communicating to the search engine what the page is about.<\/p>\n Will you suffer a Google penalty because of it? No. Google does not have a duplicate content penalty unless the duplicate content is deceptive.<\/p>\n From Google<\/a>:<\/p>\n Duplicate content on a site is not grounds for action on that site unless it appears that the intent of the duplicate content is to be deceptive and manipulate search engine results.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This usually occurs when sites copy content from other sites and claim it as their own.<\/p>\n For duplicate content within a website, though, you can suffer some consequences. And that consequence is your webpages being filtered from the search results.<\/p>\n When faced with two pages whose contents appear too similar, Google picks the page that it believes to be the best for the query. And it leaves the other page out of the results.<\/p>\n But this may or may not be the page you want to show up in the search results &mdash, so you want to avoid filtering.<\/p>\n Until now, it has not been easy for WordPress users to identify duplicate content issues right in WordPress. But with our WordPress SEO plugin, it\u2019s simple to get this data.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not already a user of our WordPress SEO plugin, here\u2019s how you can get started:<\/p>\n Get a free trial here<\/a>. We offer an affordable monthly plan at $24.95 thereafter with access to all WordPress SEO functionality plus our SEOToolSet<\/a>\u00ae if you want more analytics and reports.<\/p>\n Installation is quick and easy, and you have two options. One way is to download the Bruce Clay SEO plugin from the WordPress repository here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another way is to\u00a0 install the plugin from within your WordPress site by going to WP admin > Plugins > Add New and searching for \u201cBruce Clay.\u201d<\/p>\n This step will sync all published content on your website with the toolset. You\u2019ll synchronize your content when you first set up the plugin, from the Settings tab.<\/p>\n See which pages on your site pose duplicate content issues at the metadata level. Our WordPress SEO plugin runs a check when pages are published or synched.<\/p>\n (A sync happens when the page is published, the “analyze content” button is pressed, or when a sync is manually run from the Settings screen.)<\/p>\n It then reports on any potential duplicate content issues from the same meta information.<\/p>\n Select a page or post and automatically bring it up in the WordPress editor so you can adjust the title or description.<\/p>\n If you are using Yoast SEO, you would adjust the title and description there. If you are using our title and description feature, you can adjust it there. (Note: If Yoast is active on your site, the Bruce Clay SEO plugin automatically hides these fields to prevent any confusion.)<\/p>\n Mark the alert as \u201cdone\u201d in the Activity tab. The alert will go away immediately.<\/p>\n You can read more on how the Bruce Clay SEO plugin helps you with:<\/p>\n Get rid of the duplicate content in your WordPress site starting today. <\/em><\/strong>Get your free trial of our WordPress SEO plugin now<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Duplicate content issues can significantly impact your website’s search engine ranking and user experience. Effectively managing these issues requires a combination of technical expertise and strategic planning. This article offers valuable insights to help you tackle duplicate content and optimize your website for better performance.<\/p>\n Identifying Duplicate Content<\/strong><\/p>\n Identifying duplicate content is the first step in managing the issue. Utilize tools such as website crawlers to analyze your site’s content and identify instances of duplication. Look for similar content across different pages, repetitive meta information, and boilerplate text that may negatively affect your SEO efforts.<\/p>\n Addressing Duplicate Content<\/strong><\/p>\n Once identified, it’s crucial to address duplicate content promptly. Begin by creating unique and compelling meta titles and descriptions for each page. Update or rewrite repetitive content to provide valuable insights and engage your audience. Ensuring that each page offers distinct and valuable information enhances your site’s relevance and credibility.<\/p>\n Preventing Duplicate Content<\/strong><\/p>\n Prevention is key to maintaining a website free of duplicate content. Implement best practices such as canonical tags to indicate the preferred version of a page to search engines. Regularly audit your site for redundant content and use redirects to consolidate similar pages. You enhance your site’s overall SEO performance by proactively preventing duplicate content.<\/p>\n User-Friendly Navigation<\/strong><\/p>\n A well-structured website with intuitive navigation can also help prevent duplicate content issues. Ensure that your site’s URLs are clear and descriptive, making it easier for both users and search engines to understand the hierarchy of your content. Utilize breadcrumb navigation and internal linking to guide users through your site while maintaining a coherent content structure.<\/p>\n Regular Monitoring and Optimization<\/strong><\/p>\n Managing duplicate content is an ongoing process. Regularly monitor your website for any new instances of duplication that may arise. Stay updated with the latest SEO guidelines and best practices to optimize your content strategy continuously. By staying vigilant and proactive, you can maintain a high-quality website that delivers value to both users and search engines.<\/p>\n Step-by-Step Procedure: How to Effectively Manage Duplicate Content Issues on Your Website<\/strong><\/p>\n In SEO, two webpages that appear too similar can cause double trouble. Find out how to get rid of duplicate content issues in WordPress with an SEO plugin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":84112,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1582,1475,1232,1579,281,1583],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/a>A Quick Primer on Meta Info and Duplicate Content Issues<\/h2>\n
![\"Meta](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/html-meta-tags.png\")
\nPage source view on a BruceClay.com article<\/em><\/p>\n<\/a>How to Get Rid of Duplicate Meta Data with a WordPress Plugin<\/h2>\n
1.\u00a0Install the Bruce Clay SEO WP Plugin<\/h3>\n
2. Set Up and Sync the Plugin<\/h3>\n
![\"Synchronize](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/synchronize-content-722px.png\")
<\/p>\n3. Review the Activity Tab for Duplicate Titles and Descriptions<\/h3>\n
![\"Activity](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/activity-reasons.png\")
<\/p>\n4. Click on the Page or Post<\/h3>\n
![\"Click](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/post-title.png\")
<\/p>\n5. Make Changes to the Meta Info<\/h3>\n
![\"Title](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/plugin-title-description-fields.png\")
\nBruce Clay SEO WP plugin’s title and description editor<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Yoast](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/yoast-title-description.png\")
\nYoast SEO plugin’s title and description editor<\/em><\/p>\n6. Mark as Done<\/h3>\n
![\"Alert](\"https:\/\/www.bruceclay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/alert-mark-as-done.png\")
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<\/a>FAQ: How can I effectively manage duplicate content issues on my website?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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