Confident That Your Content is “Au Originale”?
Posted on 
January 26, 2009 in 
Search Engine Marketing by 
Keith Humes
This is an important issue for anyone in the midst of building a website. It would be so much easier to use the content that has been provided from ASPS (or other society/organization). They don’t mind if I use it. Plus, I don’t have time to author new content!
Tempting, we know. But the health of your search engine optimization strategy depends on you not giving in. Here’s why:
1. Consider Your Audience
Remember that your website is often the first thing that people look to when deciding which doctor to use. Hence, you want to leave them with a lasting impression. Your content should be written to represent you and your tone should reflect that. How will your patients be able to differentiate you from your competitors if you are all using the same content? Use your website as an opportunity to educate your potential patients and to explain what sets you apart from the rest.
2. Follow the Google Rules
Google is the most widely used search engine because it consistently presents people with relevant information when a search query is performed. If someone stumbles across the same exact information 6 times over then this would result in a poor user experience which leads to people using other search engines. Google requires unique custom content that is relevant to specific inquiry so that the end user will have several options to choose from. Make sure that Google recognizes your content as credible and unique.
Confident that your content is “au originale”? Even if you have not copied your content from another source, beware of others who may have copied yours. It’s never a bad idea to check for duplicated sources on a regular basis. There are plenty of free resources that will enable you to easily run duplicate content checks to find out. One of our favorites is CopyScape.
If you suspect that your content has been duplicated, check out these tips.
