Duplicate Sites/Content

[Geoffuk]

I've been wondering about this for a while and thought someone might be able to enlighten me....

By job is based around running an e-commerce website. A couple of months ago we set up a duplicate site targeting Ireland. The site is pretty much identical apart from the odd few bits and pieces. Most of the products are identical and just get copied across.

Will this be having a deprimental effect as far as duplicate content etc?

[Andy_MoreNiche]

Originally Posted by Geoffuk I've been wondering about this for a while and thought someone might be able to enlighten me.... By job is based around running an e-commerce website. A couple of months ago we set up a duplicate site targeting Ireland. The site is pretty much identical apart from the odd few bits and pieces. Most of the products are identical and just get copied across. Will this be having a deprimental effect as far as duplicate content etc?

In short yes, it is advisable not to create two sites with the same content as it could have a negative effect in the SE's.

[Geoffuk]

Well I thought that would be the case. But how can we get around it?!?

[ChristopherB]

What i've seen of duplicate content that when it's used it only affects the website with the least trust in google as google sees this website as the copycat and pubishes it.

So your main site if it's been established for a long time should have no problem with google however your new site will. You can try the following;

Restructure the URL's to create a different pattern:

Instead of domain.com/buckets/green_bucket/

domain.com/buy/buckets/green/

Of course a bit better than i have drawn out as i don't know what your selling.

Rewriting h1 tags
Rewriting Descriptions
Rewriting meta information

But is the site performing badly? As you wrote: "A couple of months ago we set up a duplicate site targeting Ireland"

So hows it been doing in those two months?

[JayXtreme]

It will have a detrimental effect..

I wojld definitely re-structure the site and do as shown above here..

Jay

p.s. The earlier one will get preference at all times I would think

[justhomdotcom]

Just out of interest would happen if

You had two sites but you wanted to swap certain product content from one site to the other i.e you remove content off site B and out it on Site A.

Would the fact that google would take a while to update count as dupe content?

[ChristopherB]

Originally Posted by justhomdotcom Just out of interest would happen if You had two sites but you wanted to swap certain product content from one site to the other i.e you remove content off site B and out it on Site A. Would the fact that google would take a while to update count as dupe content?

The simple answer is yes but of course there are times to consider (as in how long without being prompted would it take google to recrawl the affecte content.)

There are several really simple ways to get around this issue without much work. In google webmaster tools you can remove content from your website, so simply remove the urls of the content you are changing and then add it to the new website.

Another option is that you can once you've changed the content from one site to another create a new sitemap for your website and then google will crawl the new url's updating it's index.

Finally the final option would be to 301 redirect the page your removing then content from to the new site/page your adding it to, for isntance. I can 301 redirect, mysite.com/blue/boxershorts to yoursite.com/blue/small/boxershorts

As you would of been removing the page from your website anyway the above option (301 redirect) will not provide any leakage, it will only transfer search engine users to your new site with the content they where searching for.

Hope this helps.

[amisuggests]

Yes duplicate content will hurt you in the search engines
Just take a little time and restructure your content and tags and you should be fine
Yes it will take some work but hey if you are in a good niche, it will soon pay off

[Geoffuk]

Thanks for the advice.

I'm really not sure how we can do it in practice though. Adding/updating products all the time so it really needs to automatically do it for both sites. I'm having a bit trouble getting my head around it all at the min!

[amisuggests]

I know it is difficult. But one step at a time and you'll get the job done