There is little to no debate that duplicate content is going to hurt your natural rankings in the search engines. However, there is plenty of debate as to how much duplicate content actually hurts your marketing strategy. There is, of course, no absolute answer to this question so why take a chance…write something original. There is plenty of knowledge and insight on just about every subject so why not share your spin? You might not think it is going to benefit someone or be read, but do not underestimate the plethora of inquiring minds on the Internet.
The best thing you can do to expedite the process of your site’s content being indexed and being ranked high, naturally is to share your own knowledge on a subject. Do some research, try not to regurgitate someone else’s knowledge, and let loose with what you have learned, gathered, and experienced. You will be surprised at the audience you attract. I know that I do not speak for myself when I say that I am always looking for as much information on a subject as possible. And that includes any and all sides, views, and opinions on every subject matter.
As more and more people turn to the Internet each day as their primary source of research, the demand for as much information as possible increases exponentially. When you can provide even the smallest piece of information that no one else has replicated many times over, you are going to gain a strong following and a certain amount of respect as a resource on the Internet. And, in turn, your site/blog/forum is going to gradually leap frog your competition for those natural spots you have been longing for ever since you were a novice SEO’er.
It is no doubt that providing original content on the Internet is one of the most difficult things to do, hence the respect it is given, but if you are able to share your own knowledge, no matter how minuscule you may think it is, you will most definitely reap the benefits. Just think – one little piece of information that is brand new and informative on the Internet is going to cascade into thousands of pairs of eyes on your hard work. How do you think the tabloids sell so many magazines and distract you when you are standing in line at the grocery store? When we see something that we have never seen before we are immediately and sub-consciously attracted to it. Use that mind set when you are writing your next blog entry or page of copy for your website. It is going to be harder to start that typing, but the end result will surpass your initial frustrations.