Among people who understand internet marketing, duplicate content can be a tricky issue. The main debate is over what actually counts as duplicate content. Some internet marketers argue that anything previously published on another website qualifies, while others say it only matters when the same text appears more than once on the same website.
The exact definition is still unclear, and it does not help that search engines are not especially open about how they handle the issue. However, if a search engine decides your website is using duplicate content in a way it does not approve of, you may lose any chance of ranking well with that search engine.
It is more likely, though not certain, that duplicate content rules apply mainly to text repeated within the same site. For example, you should not create multiple pages that all use the same article without making any changes. This is the less extreme form of duplicate content, although some marketers still believe search engines may penalize the use of the same article or text anywhere on the internet.
The goal, of course, is to discourage plagiarism and prevent search engines from showing results filled with the same text again and again. To be completely safe, always write and use original content, both on your own website and elsewhere. That way, no matter which side of the debate is correct, you can be confident you are not risking a duplicate content penalty.
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