Post by PickyChicky on Sept 22, 2016 15:11:58 GMT -6
I was browsing Etsys' forums and someone had mentioned that listing the same items on multiple sites is okay if your titles and descriptions are different so you're not penalized by Google for having duplicate content. This got me to wondering if that's why my sales tanked in January because that's when Google implemented the Panda algorithm.
So, I did a little digging and came across some very interesting information that I feel is important to share since many have the same notion about Google's stance on duplicate content. The key point here is that Google does NOT penalize for all duplicate content. Two examples of non-malicious duplicate content that is pertinent to sellers include:
However, there are certain instances where it can negatively impact your rankings. The Panda algorithm focuses on the quality of the content. If you're posting (or reposting) thin content that has little to no added value to the user, THEN your ranking will decrease. Specific examples of such content include:
Many SEO experts have incorrectly labeled #3 and 4 as "duplicate content" when, in fact, Google considers it spam. Where some of us might be guilty relates to Doorway Pages, which are partially defined by Google as:
This would include sites sellers create as a "doorway" to the site they actually sell on. For example, store ABC sells on Etsy, but also has a separate .com that lists some or all of their products with links to their Etsy shop to purchase their items. If you're only providing a link to the product, with or without a picture or title, and not the full description or additional information about the product or product type, then it would be considered a doorway page.
An example of what is acceptable would be my 2011 blog article relating a history of Josef Originals and how to identify authentic pieces. The pictures of my dolls were once linked to my shop where they could be purchased, but they're both gone now...sold. Since the article provides a plethora of helpful information that was not included in either of the dolls' listing descriptions, Google considers it valuable, unique content and gives its ranking a boost. As a matter of fact, it still ranks well in search results and remains my most viewed blog article.
So, basically, as long as you're posting content that Panda considers of value to users, then listing your items on multiple sites will not negatively affect your Google ranking. However, if your titles are stuffed with keywords and your listing descriptions provide little to no information about the product, then Panda may have a problem with your page(s). So make sure you're providing valuable info.
Also, if you've created a doorway page for the sole purpose of leading customers to another site where they can purchase your item, then you will have a problem with Panda. It's unclear if it will only affect the doorway page's ranking or both that and your store's page rankings. If you want to dig deeper for more info, I've included the source links below. If you find any important information not already shared above, please do post about it.
Sources:
Google Search Console Help Page - Duplicate Content
Google Search Console Help Page - Doorway Pages
Duplicate Content SEO Advice From Google - Hobo Internet Marketing Blog (UK) (Updated June 2016) - Highlights key points of what Google’s Andrey Lipattsev says about the subject in a video (included in the blog article).
Google Webmaster Central Blog - Best Practices for Running Multiple Sites (November 2010) - For those who have multiple informational sites or blogs and does not pertain to shops.
So, I did a little digging and came across some very interesting information that I feel is important to share since many have the same notion about Google's stance on duplicate content. The key point here is that Google does NOT penalize for all duplicate content. Two examples of non-malicious duplicate content that is pertinent to sellers include:
- Discussion forums that can generate both regular and stripped-down pages targeted at mobile devices.
- Store items shown or linked via multiple distinct URLs.
However, there are certain instances where it can negatively impact your rankings. The Panda algorithm focuses on the quality of the content. If you're posting (or reposting) thin content that has little to no added value to the user, THEN your ranking will decrease. Specific examples of such content include:
- Automatically generated content;
- Thin affiliate pages;
- Content from other sources. For example, scraped content or low-quality guest blog posts; and
- Doorway pages.
Many SEO experts have incorrectly labeled #3 and 4 as "duplicate content" when, in fact, Google considers it spam. Where some of us might be guilty relates to Doorway Pages, which are partially defined by Google as:
- Having multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page.
- Pages generated to funnel visitors into the actual usable or relevant portion of your site(s).
This would include sites sellers create as a "doorway" to the site they actually sell on. For example, store ABC sells on Etsy, but also has a separate .com that lists some or all of their products with links to their Etsy shop to purchase their items. If you're only providing a link to the product, with or without a picture or title, and not the full description or additional information about the product or product type, then it would be considered a doorway page.
An example of what is acceptable would be my 2011 blog article relating a history of Josef Originals and how to identify authentic pieces. The pictures of my dolls were once linked to my shop where they could be purchased, but they're both gone now...sold. Since the article provides a plethora of helpful information that was not included in either of the dolls' listing descriptions, Google considers it valuable, unique content and gives its ranking a boost. As a matter of fact, it still ranks well in search results and remains my most viewed blog article.
So, basically, as long as you're posting content that Panda considers of value to users, then listing your items on multiple sites will not negatively affect your Google ranking. However, if your titles are stuffed with keywords and your listing descriptions provide little to no information about the product, then Panda may have a problem with your page(s). So make sure you're providing valuable info.
Also, if you've created a doorway page for the sole purpose of leading customers to another site where they can purchase your item, then you will have a problem with Panda. It's unclear if it will only affect the doorway page's ranking or both that and your store's page rankings. If you want to dig deeper for more info, I've included the source links below. If you find any important information not already shared above, please do post about it.
Sources:
Google Search Console Help Page - Duplicate Content
Google Search Console Help Page - Doorway Pages
Duplicate Content SEO Advice From Google - Hobo Internet Marketing Blog (UK) (Updated June 2016) - Highlights key points of what Google’s Andrey Lipattsev says about the subject in a video (included in the blog article).
Google Webmaster Central Blog - Best Practices for Running Multiple Sites (November 2010) - For those who have multiple informational sites or blogs and does not pertain to shops.
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