Wouldn't this be an issue of duplicate content?
-
I'm currently in the beginning stages of doing SEO analysis for a new client. They're an IT support company here in Phoenix, AZ.
In doing some keyword research and competitive research, I've noticed that one of their competitors (who ranks in the top 3 for many of the targeted keywords), is doing something that I thought would surely be a duplicate content issue.
On their home page, they have dozens of links of zip codes in the Phoenix area. Each link leads to a page devoted to that zip code. Each page is identical, except that the zip code is changed in the header tag. Most of these zip code pages are indexed in Google.
Isn't this an example of duplicate content, or better yet, content spamming? I've seen this thing quite a bit with high ranking sites, and I thought these were the kinds of things that were getting taken care of in the post "Panda" era.
I might just be misunderstanding this whole thing, but any guidance or intel would be greatly appreciated.
-
I've got the same issue with a client of mine. Their competition is beating them on a lot of searches for their area. The competition site has a link to a 95% duplicate content page for every zip code in the state. Their page are similar to this:
Wet Basements in Minneapolis MN 55101
Wet Basements in Minneapolis MN 55102etc
The same content except for city name and zip code are changed out.
-
Agreed. I can't stand seeing this. Hopefully, nowadays I'd think this'll be harder to do simply because so many domain names will be taken.
-
I just saw this working well for a small web design firm in Victoria Australia. They created a separate page for all the towns in the area, linked to it from their homepage and were dominating SERPs for no reason apart from tricking google into thinking it was a larger firm than it was. That stuff annoys the heck out of me
-
That's what I'm thinking based on what I'm seeing - most of the high ranking sites are pretty bad overall. Lot of old, early 2000 looking sites and all that goes with that.
-
Hello,
I would agree with what was said, this is DEFINITELY duplicate content, and is also exteremely Spammy. I unfortunately see this as well on a lot of sites, especially for local SEO, without getting in to detail of these strategies. My view of this is that these concepts are adding absolutely no value to the web, and really should not be done by any legitimate online marker as a means of increasing rankings.
Here is a recommendation, since I don't belive that the "if you can't beat them, join them" approach would be helpful, why don't you create specific pages for each zip code/locality, and create unique content for every page. As a rule of thumb, I try to have 55% of content on any given page unique. Some strategies that work for me is to use local landmarks and events.
I think as google's algorithm progresses strategies like this will be beaten down, but who knows how long it'll take for that to happen.
Hope this helps
Zach
-
I see a lot of this for phone numbers too.
In reading your question though, I had to ask myself this question, "Are these sites ranking because there are no better alternatives?" If everyone in the space is using duplicate content/content spamming, they will all be in the results because no one is creating a site with better information.
I would view your research as opportunity. If you feel you need to connect with customers based on zip code, build better pages and become the best result for your users.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
How do I know whether the content angle of my article is good enough to outrank or not?
Search intent is the core of writing and content marketing; its essential to know the best answer. To analyse search intent, I analyse top 10 ranking pages, see which content format is used on top 10 ranking pages and at last asses content angle. My question is, how can I come up with a unique content angle that's worth ranking and outrank existing articles and what's the points should I consider while implementing my unique content angle.
Keyword Research | | WaliullahWalid0 -
Keywords and content query
Hi we are in the process of redesigning a web site and I’m looking to ensure each of the pages are correctly optimized. I’m concerned that some of the pages do not allow for text or content . From an optimization perspective is there a general rule around the amount of text a page should have and the amount/ration of keywords they should contain? Any advice would be much appreciated.
Keyword Research | | aplnzjune180 -
Professional Content Writters
Hello I am looking to hire a professional content writer who can do keyword research and content writing in one. Has anyone ever used a professional freelancer for this and if so, do you have any recommendations for me in terms of freelancers or websites to help me find someone? Thank you
Keyword Research | | xdunningx0 -
Google trends quota's limit?
Hi Mozers, I've a problem with Google trends tool : after 5 searches, I reach the "quota limit". Have you the same issue? Do you use other tools "similar" to Google trends? SEMrush,...? Thank you for answers Regards, Jonathan
Keyword Research | | JonathanLeplang0 -
Thoughts on exact match domains to keywords? If your domain isn't an exact match, do you recommend buying another domain and getting a 301 redirect?
Thoughts on exact match domains to keywords? If your domain isn't an exact match, do you recommend buying another domain and getting a 301 redirect?
Keyword Research | | Kflo0 -
Is 15 keywords enough to properly optimize content for an entire domain?
I have recently moved in charge of a 95 page web portal that has around 8 categories of content. The SEO agency I am touch with has sent me a proposal that says they will do on-page optimization for this domain for 15 keywords. Should that be enough? What should be my expected outcome? My promise to the client is that core pages from his website will show up early on the SERPs. If they can do this, I am fine with it. Do you think I am getting the right deal? Should I be asking for more?
Keyword Research | | amit20760 -
Will words added to the end of my title make the page in question less relevant in Google's eyes?
Hey guys, I've always wondered about this. Say I'm targeting the keyword "how to sell your house" but I find it a bit bland or generic and my client actually offers a service more in line with "how to sell your house quickly" - say that's their USP for example. I still want to rank for the broader version however, because far fewer people are searching for the "quickly" version - and it stands to reason that if searchers can solve the same problem quickly, they'll want that version of the solution anyway. So will adding the word "quickly" to the end of the keyword I'm targeting (and using that in my Title, H1, URL, description tags etc) make Google see my client's page/site as less relevant to a broader search term like the more generic "how to sell your house", that I'm trying to rank for? Thanks 🙂
Keyword Research | | makeshiftyy0 -
Google Keyword Tool Doesn't Include Related Searches
For the same keyword phrase,the Google Adwords Keyword Tool complete list of keyword ideas does not contain all the keyword phrases that appear in "searches related to..." at the bottom of the page when you plug the same keyword phrase into Google. Can anyone tell me why not?
Keyword Research | | waynekolenchuk0