december2022january2023 - 32

FEATURE
How Syndicated
Content Hinders
Website Rankings
By Becky Livingston
IF YOU SUBSCRIBE to a syndicated
content resource for your blog,
your firm is at an SEO disadvantage.
Here's why.
When duplicate content is found in a search
query, search engines don't know which URL to
show. If they get it wrong, it negatively impacts
their search quality, which could damage their
brand. So, they don't do it. According to Portent,
" Google does not impose a penalty for duplicate
content. However, it does filter identical content,
which has the same impact as a penalty:
a loss of rankings for your webpages. "
DUPLICATE CONTENT TYPES
Duplicate content comes
in a few
forms, including:
* The same content posted on several websites,
e.g., blog content.
* Duplicate content on the same website, e.g.,
landing pages mirroring blog posts.
* Duplicate meta title and description tags on
more than one page.
HOW TO IDENTIFY DUPLICATE
CONTENT
There are few remedies you can use to identify
when your content is being duplicated, such as:
* Copyscape
* PlagSpotter
* Duplichecker
* Siteliner
* SmallSEOTools
In addition, the Digital Marketing Institute
shared this tip.
" Google recommends copying around 10
words from the start of a sentence and then
pasting it with quotes into Google. If you test
this for a page on your website, you would
expect to see only your webpage to show up and
ideally with no other results. If other websites
show as well as your site, Google hints that it
thinks the original source is the result it shows
first. If this isn't your website, you may have a
duplicate content issue. Repeat this process by
testing a few random short sentences of text
from your webpage into Google. "
DUPLICATE CONTENT REMEDIES
If you're buying content for your blog or website,
here are some simple things you can do
to fix duplicate content issues.
* Change the title; this is the most
impactful tip.
* Ensure there are links to reputable
sources within the content when posted in
your blog/page.
* In the page or blog post meta title and
description fields, add a keyword phase and
unique description. See example below.
* If an image is incorporated, change the file
name to a term that reflects the topic. Then
upload the image to your site and include an
alt tag with a keyword phrase. If it's your own
image (non-stock), apply the same practice
and add an image description.
EXAMPLE
* Purchased Content Title: Inflation Reduction
Act's Individual & Small Business Tax Credits
* Image provided by seller.
* No links within the content.
Take these actions before the content is
posted to your site.
* Change the title, making it very relevant to
your audience, e.g., How the Inflation Reduc32
DECEMBER 2022/JANUARY 2023 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
tion Act Impacts Realtor Tax Credits.
* Change the image file name to " inflationreduction-act-realtors.png. "
Because it is
a stock image, there's no need to add a
description. But add an alt tag, like Inflation
Reduction Act for Realtors.
* Add links to reputable sites within
the content.
* Adjust any copy to focus on your
target market.
* If you have more than one article about this
topic, at the bottom of your post, include an
" Additional Resource " bulleted list of similar
content. It helps to keep visitors on the
site longer.
In addition to the steps you can take, Moz
offers advanced technical remedies your website
developer can put into practice to help you avoid
the duplicate content issues.
With busy season right around the corner,
using a syndicated resource to provide content
for your site might seem like a win. If published
as provided, you may miss out on valuable search
rankings. Avoid duplicate content syndrome and
pack your content with links, relevant images,
and keywords for your specific audience. ■
Becky Livingston is the President and CEO of Penheel
Marketing, a NJ-based firm specializing in social media
and digital marketing for CPAs. With over 25 years
of marketing and tech experience, she is the author of
" SEO for CPAs - The Accountant's SEO Handbook " and
" The Accountant's Social Media Handbook. " In addition
to being a practitioner, she is a dog lover, an active on
the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) social
media committee, an adjunct professor, and a speaker/
trainer. Learn more about Becky and her firm at https://
Penheel.com.
Photo 154344856 © Vajira Thongsom | Dreamstime.com
http://www.Dreamstime.com http://www.Penheel.com http://www.Penheel.com http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
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