How Plagiarizing Content Can Kill Your Google SEO Rankings

What It Is, How To Avoid it, And What To Do Instead

What is plagiarism and What It has to do with SEO Rankings?

Why You Should Avoid It At All Costs

So we know that plagiarism itself is immoral, but have you ever wondered about what it does to your Google SEO rankings? Your SEO ranking is defined by how helpful, honest, and trustworthy your website is for the general public. Plagiarism is effectively lying and stealing the works of others to improve your own standing. How do you think Google takes to such deception? Spoiler warning, not very well.

At its most basic, plagiarism is taking a published work and passing it off as your own without proper citation. That last part is incredibly important, as it differentiates quoting and paraphrasing from plagiarism. What makes these different at the core is the intent – were you intentionally trying to pass along the work as your own? Did you provide proper citations and references to the original text? It can be tricky, but luckily we are here to help you navigate this rather sticky part of content marketing.

Woman Looking Over Someone Else's Content

How Plagiarizing Content Can Hurt Your Google SEO Rankings

Plus a Quick Word on Blacklisting

Google is well known for penalizing websites that contain plagiarized content. They will dock you heavily for any detectable plagiarism on your site. Add on top of that how Google’s detection algorithms are some of the most advanced in the world, and you are asking for a disaster. They will purposefully make it difficult for people to find your site amongst search results, and mark your website as being low quality. In some instances, they may even ban your website from showing up in their search results indefinitely. The effects of this can cause potential customers to have a hard time finding your website when searching for your products or services, if at all. In short, plagiarism by all marks is absolutely not worth the trouble that it can cause to your online rankings and visibility.

Need more convincing? Here are a few ways that Google may dock you for plagiarized content.

Google Penalizes Websites with Plagiarized Content

When Google detects plagiarized content on a website, they will take action against the site by reducing its ranking in search results. This can lead to a significant drop in traffic to the site, as well as a loss in lead volume, and sales. Over a long period of time, this can cascade into immeasurable losses in terms of traffic and, ultimately, revenue for the company. This also means that any marketing efforts you take to try and improve your standing will be hamstrung by this one element. You can try and push the rock up the hill as many times as you like, but with plagiarized content live on the site you’ll be pushing uphill only to watch the rock tumble down again.

Plagiarized Content Lowers the Quality of Your Website

Another way that plagiarized content can hurt your Google SEO rankings is by lowering the overall quality of your website. This is because when Google detects plagiarized content, they will lower the quality score of the site. A lower quality score will result in your website being ranked lower in search results, which will again lead to a drop in traffic and revenue.

Plagiarism Can Get You Blacklisted

Finally, if Google detects multiple instances of plagiarism on your website, they may take the drastic step of banning your site from their search results altogether. This would be a catastrophic blow to your business, as it would effectively make your website invisible to potential customers. And without any options to reverse being banned from Google’s search results forever.

A Word on Blacklisting

It’s important to note that Google does not often blacklist websites outright. Instead, what Google does is lower the quality score of websites that engage in plagiarism, which effectively makes them harder to find in search results. Over time, a website with a consistently low-quality score will be pushed so far down in the results that it may as well not be there at all.

So, while you may not get blacklisted outright for plagiarizing content, you could still end up effectively banishing your website from Google’s search results. And that’s not a risk worth taking.

How to Properly Cite Sources in Digital Content

A Crash Course in Online Etiquette

Now that we’ve gone over why citing sources is so important, let’s take a look at how to do it correctly. It’s no secret that digital marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach new customers and grow your business. But did you know that properly citing your sources is an important part of creating high-quality digital content?

There are a few different ways to cite sources depending on the type of content you’re creating. Whether you’re cultivating blog posts, social media posts, or website content, it’s important to give credit where credit is due. Not only is it good manners, but it also shows that you’re credible and trustworthy.

For Writing a Blog Post or Article

When you write copy for an article or blog post, ensuring that you properly credit your sources is essential. Not only does it show that you’re credible, but it also helps to build trust and good will with your audience. There are plenty of ways that this can go wrong, so we’ll give you a few tips on how to properly cite sources in your digital content.

Blog content can be a mix of original and curated content. However, it’s important to make sure that you’re curating content from high-quality sources. You also need to add your own commentary and insights to the blog post. Simply copying and pasting someone else’s work is not enough. It’s about making sure that you give credit where credit is due, and don’t present the work as your own.

Some Steps You Can Incorporate:

– Include a link to the original source in the body of your post

– Mention the author (if applicable) and/or publication date

– Include a brief summary of the information you’re referencing

For example: According to a study by Northwestern University, “95% of consumers make a purchase after reading product reviews.”

For Creating Social Media Content

Social media content is a little different than blog content, but you can still include in-text citations. When you’re creating social media content, make sure to:

– Acknowledge the source of any statistics or information that isn’t common knowledge

– Use shortened links to the original sources whenever possible

– Mention the author (if there is one) or the source (if there isn’t an author) in your post

– Include a link to the original source in the caption or description

– Tag the author (if applicable) and/or publication

For example: Did you know that “95% of consumers make a purchase after reading product reviews“?(NorthwesternU) #marketingtips

For Creating Website Content

Website content needs to be completely original. This means that you can’t simply copy and paste someone else’s work onto your website – even if you give them credit. Google penalizes sites that have duplicate content, so it’s important to create completely new content for your website.

– Include a link to the original source somewhere on the page (typically at the bottom)

– If you’re quoting someone, use quotation marks around the quoted section

– Give credit to the author (if applicable) and/or publication

For example: 95% of consumers make a purchase after reading product reviews (Northwestern University).

As you can see, there are many benefits to citing sources in digital content. Not only does it show that you’re credible and trustworthy, but it also helps you avoid plagiarism. It can also help you build relationships with other businesses in your industry. So next time you’re creating content for your website or social media channels, make sure to cite your sources to save your Google SEO rankings!

Tips for creating original, high-quality content

Why (Unique) Content Is King

In the ever-changing world of digital marketing, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends and algorithm updates. However, one thing remains constant: the importance of high-quality content. Whether you’re creating a blog post, a social media post, or copy for a webpage, your content must be original and engaging if you want it to stand out from the competition. So how can you ensure that your content is up to par? Here are some tips from Allegiant Digital Marketing:

Research

Research your topic inside and out. Make sure you understand the subject matter completely before you start writing or creating your content. This way, you can be sure that your finished product is accurate and informative.

Know Your Audience

Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What would they want to see? What type of information would they find helpful? Keep these questions in mind as you create your content to ensure that it appeals to your target audience.

Invest the Time

Take your time. rushing through the creative process will only lead to subpar results. Instead, take the time to brainstorm ideas, outline your content, and edit diligently. By taking your time, you can create a piece of content that you’re proud of and that will resonate with your audience.

Promoting Content

Promoting your content once it’s published. Simply hitting publish and then sitting back and waiting for the traffic to roll in is not an effective strategy. You need to actively promote your content across multiple channels in order to reach your target audience. Share it on social media, reach out to influencers in your industry, and utilize paid advertising if necessary. The more eyes you can get on your content, the better chance you have of driving traffic and generating leads.

By following these tips, you can produce original, high-quality content that will help you achieve your Google SEO rankings and marketing goals. So what are you waiting for? Get started today!

Copyright Infringement labelled on a Keyboard

A few words about copyright infringement

Why you should always respect Others Intellectual Property

One of the most serious consequences of copyright infringement is that it can lead to criminal charges. In many countries, copyright infringement is a criminal offense, punishable by fines and even imprisonment. This is especially true if the infringement is done for commercial gain. Even if the infringement is not done for profit, the penalties can be severe. In some cases, copyright infringement can also result in civil liability, meaning that the person who committed the infringement can be sued by the owner of the copyrighted work. This can result in having to pay damages to the copyright owner.

Another consequence of copyright infringement is that it can damage the reputation of the person who committed the infringement. If someone is caught infringing on copyrighted work, they may be seen as someone who cannot respect the intellectual property of others. This can have a negative impact on their career and personal life. Additionally, copyright infringement can also lead to financial losses for the copyright owner. If an infringer is selling copies of a copyrighted work, the sales could take revenue away from the copyright owner. Additionally, if an infringer distributes a copyrighted work online, it could be difficult for the copyright owner to monetize their work. Copyright infringement can also make it difficult for a copyright owner to license their work, as potential licensees may be concerned about infringing on someone else’s intellectual property.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is always important to respect the intellectual property of others. Copyright infringement can lead to severe penalties, including criminal charges and civil liability. Additionally, it can damage one’s reputation and lead to financial losses for the copyright owner. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you have permission before using or distributing someone else’s copyrighted work.

If you believe that your website may be subject to copyright infringement, or would like to investigate if your own content has been plagiarized, contact Allegiant Digital Marketing today.