Duplicate Content

What is it?

Duplicate content is an exact copy of content, with no variance, which is accessible at multiple URLs. The URLs may be on the same or different domains.

Why is it bad?

Search engines frown upon duplicate content. Whether the content has been taken from another website, or from a page on the same website, it is treated the same. Having duplicate content negatively effects your web rankings.

What can I do about it?

Try to use unique/non-copied content every time. Additionally, if your website creates its own duplicant content by using URL parameters, this can be quickly an easily addressed using the URL canonical tag supported by the major search engines.