What is duplicate content?
The same or nearly the same text on more than one page. It makes it harder for search engines to pick the right one.
The plain definition
Duplicate content is text that appears, in full or nearly in full, at more than one address. It can be on your own site or copied from another. Search engines try to show just one version, and they may not choose the one you would prefer. It is rarely a penalty, but it does waste effort.
An example
A cleaning company has ten town pages that are identical except for the town name. Another business copies its supplier’s product descriptions word for word. In both cases there is little reason for a search engine to prefer any single page.
Why it matters for a local business
Write each page for a real purpose. A town page should say something true about that town: the areas you serve, local details, real jobs. Where two addresses must show the same content, use a canonical tag or a redirect to point to the main one.
Check it for free
See where you stand with the free SEO compare tool. If you would rather have it handled, our Local SEO service covers this as part of the monthly work.
Related terms
Part of the SEO glossary. New to all this? Start with the beginner’s SEO guide.
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