Copying others info!

[GoldDust]

Ok I have a forum with a couple articels from other sites..ie tutorials, and general helpful info for others..

My concern is google will penalize us for have copy info - is this cause for concern, being that we are a forum? will google see this posted info as duplicate?

Thanx in advance,
Gold :wink:

[compar]

No not at all. The issue of duplicate content is when an entire site is duplicated. But articles get posted in lots of places. I would venture to say that popular articles may be duplicated on various web set many many times.

This is legitmate publishing. Google isn't going to penalize anybody for this.

Sometimes you can just be too paranoid. Google doesn't run the world yet. Do what you think is correct and interesting for your members and stop worrying about Google.

[GoldDust]

Thanx Compar :wink:

[kkibak]

If I may I'd like to jump in here with a duplicate content question.

My store software seems to create multiple copies of various pages for internal reasons.

ie there's a page /Throwing_Knives/ which is exactly identical to /category_s/108/

Could this be the reason I've dropped from the SERPS? I'm starting to hit myself in the head.

[GoldDust]

Originally Posted by compar

No not at all. The issue of duplicate content is when an entire site is duplicated.

Is there like a quota of info you can duplicate? - I'm sure the algo's pick up on duplicate content, and maybe decide drop certain pages & not whole sites when the qouta is reached (my theroy).

[Grumpus]

Sites or pages don't get dropped for duplicate content. If pages are duplicate, or close to duplicate, the one that ranks highest for that particular search term will show up and the others will be filtered out of that search so you aren't looking at the same things over and over again. Do a different search and a different page may show.

There is no dropping or penalty or anything like that for duplicate content. It's a filter to keep the search so that the most relevant and unique content comes up in the serps.

G.

[kkibak]

I guess I'll never understand Google, then.

I thought I'd found my solution.

I rank #1 on Yahoo for throwing knives and #5 for Zippo Lighters. I'm NO WHERE at all on Google.

In fact my posts asking for help in these forums rank higher than my actual page. Figure that one out

Very strong off page links with appropriate anchor text, too.

[Grumpus]

Okay. Here's why you're not ranking well: You're too dilluted.

Let's look at pages on your site that are about www.yourbestdeals.net+throwing+knives+yourbestdeal s]Throwing Knives[/url]. According to Google, there are almost 4000 of them. Almost all of these have "Throwing Knives" in the page title. Many of these are exact duplicates with other page titles, too.

In essence, on a search for throwing knives, you've got 4,000 pages fighting each other to be ranked #1 and then the one that wins has to fight against the page from other sites. By the time the page that wins on your site get figured out, all of it's ranking power is spent because it's divided by 4000.

Get yourself a page that's really focused on "Throwing Knives". Clean out all your duplicate titles. Then you should be kicking butt. You do have gobs of links and everything else - you just have Google confused over which page or section of your site is really about throwing knives since every page in there seems to be claiming to be about them.

G.

[GoldDust]

G, are you saying that its a bad idea to place your main keyword that your targeting in all your page titles?

I used to only place mine on the first page, (index) but was advised to place in all page titles?

your theroy is very interesting.. but I know alot of webmasters think that by placing your main key word in nearly all your title's is effectivly uping the chances of you ranking for that key word...although I totally understand there are hundreds of other inportant variables taken into considertaion when google decides what a page is about.

[Grumpus]

Google ranks pages not sites. You target a page for a keyphrase, not the site (though the page title should have your brand or some identifiable name in it). Let's use these forums for example.

Every page here has "Webmaster Forums" in the title, but each page is about something different - a different aspect of being a webmaster. So, John and crew have modified the code of these forums to ensure that each page title is specific to what the actual thread is about. They use the "thread title" as the page title. True, John's targeting the broad term "webmaster forums" but there's only one page that has "webmaster forums :: index" as it's title.

Believe me - It's not a theory - it's a fact. Duplicate page titles will do nothing but hurt you. Each one needs to talk about and reinforce the subject of the page. Look around the web and find me a page that ranks well for a specific and competitive term that also uses the exact same title on all (or even lots) of pages. I don't think you'll find one.

G.

[GoldDust]

Originally Posted by G

Duplicate page titles will do nothing but hurt you.

- I agree


The above example you have used regarding John & Crew modifiying code in this forum (IMR) - I already use the method my self - its not new knowledge .. I have done the same procedure with many of my clients forums....

Also, I know google rate page's and not sites :wink:

G, you also mentioned that I should look around the www for a page that ranks well for a specific and competitive term that also uses the exact same title on all (or even lots) of pages...you said I dont think your find one -

I don't think I can recall ever saying that pages do rank for the exact same title on all pages

My main point was about titles was to do with "brand name or identifiable names" being included with the page elemnt keyphrase or keyword thats being targeted.

In regards to me talking about hundreds of other variables that contributre to high rankings, to me the most inportant is: Get links, links, and more links.