Check if your content is duplicated on the internet

Google Algorithm Ranking Factors

(Number 33 of the 200)

 

Author: Dr. Manus Ward │Head of Digital Strategy and Data Protection │Hotelconsultant.com is a qualified and experienced former hotel manager, culinary Olympic team manager and hospitality Head of School who is passionate about passing on the knowledge he gained from one of the few hotel digital strategy doctorates in the world to you the hotelier. Bonus: If you have any problems with this contact me (100% free) at manus@hotelconsultant.com or 086 8185829 on this or any aspect of your hotel’s digital strategy.

Why do we need to do this

Google thinks of duplicate or identical content in the same way that a lecturer would if they received two identical assignments from two different students. Duplicate or identical pages even on the same site will result in the page Google finds first being increased in rankings and the page found after that being reduced in rankings. 

What does this mean

Only place original content on your site. If you do not create the content yourself check to see if the person who did created original content or just copy and pasted it from the internet. Place an original content clause into the contract or at the least state it as a requirement in emails to the content creator. Also state no payment will be made if the content is found to be identical or nearly identical.

What do I do: Essentially ensure each page on your site is different and make sure there are not many different URLs for the same page.

How do I know if there is duplicate content on my site: Click on http://www.seoreviewtools.com/duplicate-content-checker/ and do the following:

You will then get this page. You are fine if you have the following page:

Duplicate Images:

What does this mean: Google’s chief search engineer said in 2013 that at that moment in time original or copied images do not affect your rankings but spent the second half of the video saying it was an excellent idea and they may consider it in the future.

What do I do: Ensure that the first version of the photo of your hotel anywhere online is on your hotel’s website. Write this into your contract with the photographer.

How can I search the internet and see if my image is used anywhere else: In the vast majority of cases we want sites that may pass us business to use our photos and therefore we don’t in general enforce copyright of the images but just in case you want to check if an image is being used inappropriately click on https://images.google.com and do the following.

On the next page you have every Google indexed location your image has been used on the internet. Check through them all and make sure you are happy it isn’t being used inappropriately.

How can I check for the first and therefore original version on the internet: At the top of the page click on the following.

On the next screen do the following.

Here are the dates Google first found the images.

Click down through them all and find the earliest version. This will be the one Google determines to be the original.

Now do this for the pages you have extensive content on.

More by Dr. Manus Ward

The Google Algorithm is how Google decides which site to rank number 1. It is top secret but not anymore, here it is. Click here to find out how to implement it in a simple and achievable way in to your hotel.

Google records and shares the keywords your hotel guests search for. Click here to find out how to find out these keywords and how to create content containing the keywords that will rank at the top of Google.

Last generation hotel photos i.e. the ones that don’t have any people in them can significantly reduce the likelihood of guests choosing your hotel. Click here to find out how to create next generation hotel images.

Ranking Factor of the Week: Panda is an algorithm that very heavily penalises low quality content sites and rewards high quality sites with significant amounts of useful content. Click here to find out how to avoid a Panda penalty.