Definition

Duplicate content is substantially similar content accessible at multiple URLs — causing search engines to choose one canonical version and potentially dilute ranking signals.

Detailed Explanation

Causes: www vs non-www, HTTP vs HTTPS, URL parameters, printer-friendly pages, scraped syndication, paginated archives.

Fix with canonical tags, 301 redirects, parameter handling in GSC, and consistent internal linking to preferred URL.

Nepal Context

Nepali news and blog sites often syndicate identical press releases across domains — canonical back to source or rewrite with unique angle. E-commerce sites duplicate product descriptions from suppliers — add unique specs and Nepali-language copy.

Key Takeaways

  • Same content, multiple URLs — wastes crawl budget
  • Canonical tag signals preferred version
  • Not a “penalty” — Google consolidates signals to one URL

Common Mistakes

  1. No canonical on paginated or filtered URLs
  2. Syndicating content without canonical or rewrite
  3. Both www and non-www indexed without redirect