Tips to Avoiding Google’s Duplicate Content Penalty

 Posted on October 07,2014 in OVC Lawyer Marketing

Keeping abreast of your digital marketing campaign can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to maintaining originality and avoiding an infraction of Google’s duplicate content penalty guidelines. By establishing specific content guidelines, Google’s message is clear: keep your website content original. Not only will you stay one step ahead of your competitors in the legal profession, but you will fly clear of Google’s internal radar.

As defined by Google, duplicate content generally refers to a series of content blocks that either mirror other content areas or contain similar attributes of content published to other legal sites. Although not malicious in nature, Google cites the following examples as possible offenses:

• Discussion forums producing both regular and similar content spanning multiple domains often targeting mobile devices,
• Store items linked to multiple distinct URLs, and
• Print-only versions of multiple web pages.

Duplication of content can be construed as a deliberate attempt to influence search engine rankings by establishing a higher influx of consumer traffic. Although this may be undeliberate, relying on content marketing as a means to increase potential client opportunities may only increase the risk of using duplicate content on a website. In this instance, if users determine prospective attorneys focus on the same content, they may be less enthusiastic about choosing them to represent their case since they have not established themselves as professionals with distinct online content.

If you have concerns about inadvertently violating Google’s duplicate content guidelines, it may be in your best interest to contact your marketing manager or your online marketing firm responsible for the content posted to your site. In the interim, the following guidelines have been established by Google’s Webmaster:

• Refrain from establishing multiple pages, subdomains or domains with equally duplicate content,
• Originality is key. Avoid the “cookie cutter” option pertaining to affiliate programs offering a formula for little or no original content,
• If you do participate in an affiliate program, ensure that your site offers your targeted audience value as a unique and relevant content producer, providing your viewers with a viable reason to stop by and visit your site.

Originality is the apple of Google’s eye and may elevate your ranking through use of search engine optimization (SEO) best practices. By posting fresh content on a regular basis and optimizing it for search engines, you also avoid possible legal action due to copyright infringement. This often occurs when attorneys re-post content from other legal sites believing that if the content is published with the proper disclosures it is a free pass to repost the content.

With numerous attorneys holding membership to industry-related associations, website content can generally prove repetitive across the board. Not only does this increase legal risk, it significantly decreases your SEO ranking. Staying one step ahead of your competition with relevant, timely and original website content can prove invaluable.

Since 2008, OVC, INC. has been successfully establishing a solid foundation of assisting the legal community with specialized and relevant website content options.

For a free comprehensive evaluation of your current website and to learn more about how OVC, INC. can keep you one step ahead of the competition, contact our offices at 630-635-8000 today.

About the Author: Greg Wildman is the President of OVC, INC. Since 1999, Greg has developed hundreds of websites for attorneys from his company's inception as Online Video Concepts, LLC to the modern era's OVC, INC. Greg's knowledge of law firm marketing has helped many attorneys establish online presences through custom website development, Search Engine Optimization, legal directory partnerships, social media marketing, content writing and more.