Duplicate content is one of those issues that can quietly undermine your SEO efforts if left unchecked.
It occurs when multiple URLs on your website feature identical or very similar content, making it harder for search engines to decide which page to rank.
This summary will give you a high-level overview of duplicate content and why it matters.
With links to deeper dives into specific issues and solutions that you may find useful if this type of issue is flagged on your SEO audit.
Why Is Duplicate Content a Problem?
Search engines aim to provide diverse, relevant results for users.
Duplicate content confuses them, causing:
- Keyword Cannibalization: Your pages compete against each other, hurting rankings.
- Filtered Pages: Search engines may omit duplicates from results entirely.
- Wasted Crawl Budget: Crawlers waste time on duplicates instead of indexing unique pages.
While Google insists there’s no “duplicate content penalty,” large-scale issues can harm your site’s visibility and perceived quality.
Types of Duplicate Content
Duplicate content isn’t a one-size-fits-all issue.
Below are common types, with links to detailed info on what to do:
- URLs with Duplicate Content: Pages with identical body content that confuse search engines about which to rank.
- URLs with Duplicate Page Titles: Identical title tags across pages, resulting in lost SEO opportunities.
- Technically Duplicate URLs: URLs differing by case or query string order, but leading to the same content.
- URLs with Duplicate Title and Meta Descriptions: Duplicate metadata that impacts search visibility and click-through rates.
- URLs with Similar Content: Pages with near-identical content, often caused by templates or minor keyword tweaks.
- URLs with Duplicate H1s: Repeated H1 tags that dilute a page’s relevance.
- URLs with Duplicate Meta Descriptions: Reused meta descriptions that fail to attract clicks or clarify content purpose.
Bonus: When to Prioritise Fixing Duplicate Content
Just like everything in SEO, it depends.
Although, the scale of the problem determines its priority:
- Small Scale: A few duplicate title tags or H1s? These are quick fixes and lower priority.
- Large Scale: Systemic issues generating hundreds or thousands of duplicates? These need immediate attention as they can heavily impact rankings and visibility.