What is Boilerplate Content?
“Boilerplate” is a term for text that can be used repeatedly in different situations without much change.
Here is the individual noun meaning I’ve pulled from the Cambridge Dictionary:
“A way of writing or thinking that is not special and does not show any imagination” – Boilerplate – noun.
But what does it mean in SEO terms? And can it be harmful to your site?
(Yes – sometimes it’s harmful)
(Especially when you’re creating many similar pages in the form of service areas for your local business.)
I will explain what boilerplate content means when we’re talking about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), why it might be a problem but also why it’s sometimes needed, and show you some examples of how it’s used.
Here are some quick links:
- What Boilerplate is in SEO
- Why Its Harmful
- Why Sometimes Isn’t
- How to Stop Boilerplate From Harming Local SEO
Going to read like a normal person?
Let’s jump in
What is Boilerplate Content in SEO?
In SEO (Search Engine Optimization), boilerplate content refers to sections of text repeated across multiple website pages.
Usually, you see this as headers, footers, sidebar contents, and standardised call-to-action phrases.
You’ll see this happening on almost all E-commerce sites.
It also includes templates for similar pages where only a few details, like a location or product name, are altered.
These are when boilerplate content is beneficial (& makes sense in the eyes of our Google overlords) and expected since some content will look the same from one webpage to the next.
However, Google has already confirmed that it frowns upon making minor changes—like swapping out the name of a location—just to boost a page’s ranking in search results for a slightly different location area.
Here is an example:
When Webmasters set things up like local services pages and try to do local SEO for their business, which covers a wide range of service areas, they sometimes copy content across to speed up the process.
They typically only change the location names throughout
And if they want to go ‘above and beyond,’ they’ll spin the original content through something like ChatGPT to make it ‘unique.’
But just as your English teacher could tell when you’ve copied your classmates’ work,
Google knows when you’ve spun text and uploaded it to a new webpage.
How does Prof. Google know this?
In a non-geeky way: It recognises the pattern and flow of the text, identifying when content has been slightly modified from one page to another.
Here is a closer look at why using boilerplate content (outside of the a-okay examples above) is bad for business:
Why Boilerplate Content Is Harmful
Google isn’t just trying to be a pain in your backside when it puts rules like this in place, trust me.
They do that in many other ways.
Such as trying to mask what they prioritise regarding good signals to help rank on SERPs.
The fact is that search engines like Google prioritise unique content that provides value to users.
Its business model is legitimately this;
Users first, business second.
Because of this, repetitive content like boilerplate content (closely linked to duplicate content) can dilute each page’s uniqueness, meaning it also will not provide a good user experience.
So, not only will you be lowering your SEO value by confusing the search crawler with similar content, so it has no idea what page to prioritise, but anyone who does find the page will have a poor experience.
And this will cause a negative spiralling effect until your page crashes out of Google SERPs for good.
Potentially, along with your site, if you do this too much.
Why It's Sometimes Necessary
As I’ve previously mentioned, boilerplate copy often receives a big thumbs-up from Google.
This typically occurs in scenarios where it’s complex or unnecessary to make your content unique. In fact, triving too hard to avoid boilerplate content can appear forced, making you over-optimised.
A good example of appropriate boilerplate content is call-to-action (CTA) buttons.
Think for a second about your favourite online clothing store.
The ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Add to Cart’ buttons are consistently the same across various product pages.
Now, think for two more seconds: it would be virtually impossible to craft a unique message for every single product page.
Even if possible, such uniqueness might not be as effective as CTAs are a science.
And, in marketing, maintaining consistent wording can be beneficial and advantageous from a sales perspective.
Similarly, boilerplate content allows for a consistent message across a website.
This is particularly true for taglines or catchphrases associated with the site, or the business’s main selling proposition.
Reusing these elements, although not necessarily unique to the business, helps to distinguish it in an ocean of online competitors.
There are also instances where uniqueness isn’t feasible, such as copyright and legal policies. Your message needs to be as straightforward as possible; you wouldn’t want to risk legal action just to make your content unique, would you?
And finally, it’s useful.
From a content creation standpoint, having a standard boilerplate layout that can be reused is practical.
Imagine the inefficiency of creating unique product pages for a black variant of an originally black product.
More Examples Of (Approved) Boilerplate Content in SEO
- Headers and Footers
- Sidebar Content
- Legal Disclaimers
- Call-to-Action (CTA) Phrases.
- FAQs or Help Sections
- Navigation Menus
- Template Pages for Locations or Services.
- Blog or Article Signatures
- Customer Testimonials
- Product Specifications
How to Use Boilerplate Content Without Hurting Your Local SEO
If your business operates in multiple locations, it’s important to do local SEO keyword research for each area before setting up your service pages.
People search differently depending on where they are, and Google shows different results based on location. Simply swapping out location names & keywords could mean missing out on valuable SEO opportunities.
And you risk getting these pages (or your whole website) penalised for effectively using boilerplate content (or duplicate content) throughout.
But sometimes, it’s often necessary or simply can’t be helped due to the nature of the page.
This is especially true when you’re creating local service pages.
Consider this: if you’re an electrician offering services across Redcar and Cleveland, your services won’t vary much from one location to the next.
However, as I’ve said, you want unique service pages so that Google will approve your content.
So, what can you do?
Here are a few key areas I would change:
- Plumbing Photos: Use photos from specific client jobs in each location.
- Contact Details: If available, provide a unique business address for each location.
- Opening Hours: List opening hours specific to each location if they differ.
- Location Description: Include mentions of local landmarks and other local features.
- FAQs: Offer unique FAQs that address specific concerns or details about each location.
- Service Customisation: Detail any services that are particularly tailored or unique to each location due to local regulations or customer preferences.
- Team Information: Introduce local team members or technicians specific to that area with their photos and brief bios.
- Customer Reviews: Incorporate testimonials and reviews from clients specific to each location.
- Local News or Events: Mention any local events or community activities your business participates in or sponsors.
- Special Offers: List any promotions or discounts unique to each location.
- Local Partnerships: Highlight partnerships with other local businesses or organisations.
Anything outside of this, such as your work process and the tools you may use, will stay the same – this is when using boilerplate content is considered OKAY.
You COULD spin this content to make it unique, but I always think this looks too forced, and you may not be able to get a good message across if you do this, so I would leave it.
Summary
While understanding what is boilerplate content is crucial for SEO, such as using headers, footers, and standardized call-to-actions, care must be taken to avoid penalties from Google for excessive or manipulative use, especially when creating local service pages for local SEO strategies