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PLR Articles: Similar Content or Exact Duplicate Content???
I just got an email asking if there was any profit potential with Article Underground PLR Articles because of “duplicate content penalties” causing problems with getting traffic.
Ahhhh…. looking at the galss half empty instead of half full… As I have said before - it’s all in the way you look at things.
When you change the way you look at things - the things you look at change!
Absolutely there can be profits using PLR articles! You can use the articles in many creative ways that will snag you targeted traffic that buys products or clicks!
You need WORDS on your web pages and lots of them IF you want lots of free search engine traffic! PLR articles can be a great way to build up web sites and create high value real content pages that people will want to visit!
PLR articles are great inexpensive tools you can use to build web pages that will bring your web site(s) more targeted traffic!
Not ALL PLR Articles are crap! Article Underground articles have real value to visitors. That’s what you should be concerned about. Will people be happy when they visit my web site?
It’s how you use PLR articles though that can help you get more traffic than the other guys who may be less fond of working. It’s not hard work even - it’s smart work that makes your web pages better than the Average Joe’s!
Using a PLR article on a web page is not in itself going to get you #1 on Google! It’s how you use the article to build a web page with good profitable words and real value for the visitors - you need to find your audience. You need good quality links pointing at the page!
There are variables that make one page better than another. Variables that make one web site more powerful and authoritative than others.
The best of us will find ways to make our web sites better.
So - what about duplicate content?? Isn’t it a problem?
There is a big difference bewtween SIMILAR content - such as pages incorporating PLR articles - an EXACT DUPLICATE CONTENT - such as identical pages.
I’ll share some info that you should find helpful and at the bottom I’ll include links to some further discussions. Dupe content is a hot topic!
First off, Article Undeground members join for a number of reasons. The articles may be one of them. There are many other features that are worth the price of the subscription. Links in the blogs may be enough! Also great research and tutorials and a killer private forum.
AU Members see value in many of the benefits. That is why I still have many members from back in Feb. of 2006. They stay members because they keep getting value.
Not all of the 350 AU members actually download each months zip. Generally it is about HALF.
Current - as of today - 24 days after the current sets were released - downloads are as follows:
April 16, 2007 Article set 1 - 127 of 350 downloaded
April 16, 2007 Article set 2 - 108 of 350 downloaded
And of those 108 that downloaded set 1’s 400 articles - not every member will use each one of the 400 articles in the zip. Even if they use MANY of the articles there is a good chance they will modify the articles at least a little. It pays to spend a little extra effort on tweaking.
Even if they do not modify, tweak or creatively use the articles (they do) - a duplicate or “syndicated article” does not in itself cause problems with Google. It depends on the application as to whether Google will want to index the page.
Also, there are a million and one ways to creatively use the articles. It’s too easy to midify them and make YOUR web pages more unique. It is a rare chance that 2 members will use an article in exactly the same way. It is rare that 2 web pages are identical. AU offers tutorials on how to customize articles and create unique web sites that have YOUR PERSONALITY stamped on them.
Duplicate Content can be looked at in several different ways. It’s not a death sentence in itself to have an article that someone else has on their web site - in fact - there is no reason to worry about posting a PLR or syndicated article on your web site - that in itself is not a problem. It’s SIMILAR CONTENT not an EXACT DUPLICATE web page.
That’s how newspaper sites do it when they syndicate their articles. There is no penalty as such against that.
So what kinds of so-called “duplicate content” are there out there???
1. Similar Content - PLR Articles - News Syndication - Original Articles on more than 1 site - (parts of a page are the same as pages on site or on other sites)
2. Exact Duplicates (same web pages 100% as others on site or off site)
3. Public Directory Article Syndication (when 1,000’s of people use the same exact articles unmodified and with the same author box and external text links - as in the case of goarticles.com and ezinearticles.com)
I’ll give you my take on each:
1. In the case of similar content with PLR articles or articles you have written and use on more than 1 site - there should be no concern. Use your own template or design your own web page for each site that will include an article.
You’ll have other words on the page. The more words the better! That will make your page more unique. Search Engine Robots LOOK at PAGES in their entirety and analyze DENSITY. In most cases they don’t read the articles. They add up how many words are on the pages. Make sure you put something of value on your pages in addition the articles and you’ll be fine!
Also - there are many ways to use PLR articles. The terms of use allow you to do what you want with them (unlike from public article directories which do not allow editing) PLR offers freedom! Tweak them. Modify them. Add to them. Or use intact but cut them up or stack them up. Use excerpts of the articles - Paragraph snippets - put 2 on a page - 3 on a page - 1/2 on a page etc. - just using them creatively may be enough to make your pages more unique. Your pages do not need to be 100% unique.
2. EXACT DUPLICATES - IF you use the articles on a blank page or the same exact template as someone else is using with ZERO original words - yes - then you’ll have an exact duplicate PAGE and Google may not want to index that page. Even then, they often will index it if you have enough GOOD QUALITY links pointing at the page. The page with the best links pointing at it will rank the highest.
I’d prefer you did not use the articles EXACTLY as they are without at least a few changes or tweaks. It’s easy enough to do.
What I instruct Article Underground members to do is add unique touches to their article pages. Add an introduction, a middle commentary and a conclusion summing up the article.
In most cases this is enough to show Google that you have something different than the guys out there doing massive copy and paste or automated junk directories filled with the same stuff. Those are the guys that get dinged. Not people who have good quality web sites.
Many Article Underground members actually take it a step further and rewrite the articles (themselves or they outsource it). That way they get the benefit of the Article Underground research and leave the primary keyword phrases and article theme pretty much intact (articles do not need a specific exact keyword density - so it’s ok to modify them or rewrite). It’s far easier to rewrite one of our articles and personalize it than to sit and start from an empty page. But as pointed out above, there are so many creative ways to use the articles - you don’t need to fully rewrite them unless you want to.
Article Underground articles cost .24 cents - why not pay someone a dollar to rewrite it - rewrite a dozen for $12. and you’ve got something special. BUT that’s optional! It is not necessary!
3. Public directory article syndication is what really kills people.
It’s when you submit an article to a directory and allow people to republish it. Suddenly Google sees 100 or 500 or 1,000 web pages that have the same exact words - UN MODIFIED _ with the same exact LINKS (in the author box) with the SAME EXACT LINK TEXT.
THAT is asking for trouble. Using a PLR article is much safer than using articles from public directories - and even those don’t always get dinged by duplicate content.
The point I would like to make is that you need to try things and see what works and what doesn’t. Then you have your own data to use as the basis for deciding where to spend your efforts.
Don’t just assume what you hear in a forum is the law.
Some people hate PLR articles. Some people hate the color blue. So what!
There are a million and one different ways to make money with web sites! There are ways to suit the traits if each kind of business person.
Trust you own judgement and work smart.
Analyze what you do and see what works best. If you see big money come in from rewriting PLR articles - do that more.
If you see just adding a few extra sentences to PLR content works - just do that.
BUT whatever you do - DON’T DO NOTHING!
You’ll make far more money doing the worng things or doing things partly wrong than if you over analyze things and do NOTHING.
Do something. Find a system. Find a mentor. Trust in someone and learn by doing! You’ll be just fine!
As for Article Undeground - it’s really a great value for what it costs. You can join and try it out and if you do not like it cancel at any time. Most members stay a long time!
More info on PLR ARticles at Article Underground
http://www.articleunderground.com/keyword-research/
More discussions if you like reading about this sort of thing:
Duplicate Content is an Urban Legend
http://www.mikeliebner.com/internet-marketing/duplicate-content-is-an-urban-legend-kinda/
Down on Cookie Cutter Adsense Web Sites
http://www.mikeliebner.com/internet-marketing/im-down-on-cookie-cutter-adsense-tm-web-sites/
What Does Google Have TO Say about Duplicate Content
http://www.mikeliebner.com/internet-marketing/what-does-google-have-to-say-about-duplicate-content/
Best regards,
Mike Liebner
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Duplicate content - easy to avoid!
Hey Mike. Great post and absolutely on the button!
Avoiding the duplicate content rule is much easier to achieve than some think.
AU Articles are a fantastic way to offer the search engines what they need to succeed.
They need you as much as you need them!
Add some unique spin on the article (keywords). Add a source of revenue with a description. Include a review and WHAM - unique content - the easier way!
PLR Articles are the best way to grow a home business. There is some work involved. However, the hard part is done for you.
Your task is to get out there and get targered traffic. Make the money come to you.
Thank you for the great post Mike. Look forward to more.
Sincerely,
John Adams
http://www.honest-homebusiness.com
Comment by youallnome — May 11, 2007 @ 7:19 am
Mike,
i like what you say in this article about PLR article. Personally I have used PLR articles to provide content for my sites and it worked well for me and the search engine.
Damien
http://www.internetstrategyblog.com
Comment by damien.oh — May 30, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the post. Before reading your article I am quite confused about Duplicate Content. So what I do to my PLR artciles is editing them. But editing the whole articles make me tired. Thanks again to this post. Now, I can start to upload my PLR articles with just a few editing.
Shafiq
http://www.internetduit.com
Comment by shah2270 — September 17, 2007 @ 8:42 am