Duplicate content is a common problem on the web - and can have a negative impact on Google rankings. But how does duplicate content actually arise and how can it be avoided? In this article, we show you what is important and how EGOCMS can help you with this.
Why avoid duplicate content?
Google wants to provide its users with search results that are as relevant and unique as possible. If several versions of the same page are available - with different domains, for example - Google may have difficulty selecting the "right" version. This results in none of the pages realising their full ranking potential.
Example:
www.egotec.com and egotec.com are two different domains for Google. If no clear rules are set here, duplicate content is created.
Determine the main domain
The most important measure is to decide on a main domain. In our example, this would be www.egotec.com - this domain is already in the Google index and is also used externally. This gives you a clear "source of truth".
Use 301 redirects
All other versions of your domain should redirect to the main domain using a 301 redirect. This ensures that users and Google always see the correct page - regardless of whether they enter egotec.de, egotec.com or www.egotec.com.
Advantage: Google recognises the redirect and evaluates all links to the main domain together.
Check and adjust the canonical tag
In the <head> area of each page, there should be a canonical tag that refers to the correct URL. In this way, you clearly signal to Google which version of a page is the original version.
Tip:
Make sure that the canonical tag on each subpage refers to the respective https://www-Version.
Use Google Search Console correctly
Always use your main domain in the Google Search Console. This gives you meaningful data and allows you to make targeted optimisations.
How EGOCMS supports you
EGOCMS offers numerous functions to avoid duplicate content:
-
virtual hosts.ini file:
This is where you define which domain is used for which client and which language. There is always one main domain to which all other domains are forwarded. -
Automatic 301 redirects:
If pages are moved or renamed, the old URL is retained in the database. When the old URL is called up, a 301 redirect to the new URL takes place automatically - without any manual effort on the part of the editorial team. This is a standard behaviour of egocms. - Canonical tag:
Is set automatically by EGOCMS! - sitemap.xml:
The sitemap.xml is automatically generated by EGOCMS from the tree structure of the website. Search engines thus receive an up-to-date overview of all relevant pages and can crawl and index them efficiently. - Release copy:
If you would like the content to change on a certain date, e.g. your homepage to contain certain content from a certain date for the company anniversary, you can create this in advance using the release copy. You tell the release copy when the content should become active. Once this date has been reached, the content of the release copy is copied to the original page. This works with any page and any page type. -
Relaunch with one-way sync server:
Even during a relaunch, old URLs can be retained and point to the new page via 301 redirection. This preserves your rankings and backlinks. The EGOCMS One-Way-Sync Server supports this.
Important:
Do not create new pages for existing content. Use the EGOCMS redirect function instead.
Conclusion
With the right settings and the integrated functions of EGOCMS, you can effectively avoid duplicate content. This will ensure a better Google ranking and a better user experience.
Tip:
Check your domain settings and redirects regularly - this will keep you on the safe side!