One SEO professional was concerned about duplicate content coming from combining existing blog posts and asked John Mueller about the following scenario during a hangout:
They were describing a situation where they posted a topic to their blog. However due to some potential need, perhaps they need to post the content to their blog again, with some additional updates.
But, they also want to keep the previous post the same.
Instead, they want to publish the combination of the old post with the new additions.
Their main question is: will this cause their blog to be penalized by re-publishing the same content?
John answered that no, this is usually fine. Google’s systems will recognize when there is significant duplication of content across a website.
However, these are things that are normal activities for a website. So, if you have a category page and a detail page for posts, then on the category page, you’ll have some part of the blog posts as well, which is duplication.
That’s still okay.
This happens at approximately the 7:36 mark in the video.
John Mueller Hangout Transcript
SEO Professional 2 7:36
Okay, my last and final question is that: suppose I have posted a topic on my blog, a post on my blog. And due to some need, I need to again post that contents on my blog, again, with possibly, maybe that I have already posted to a post? And I guess I need to combine them and add something new and then republish it. And I want to keep the previous post the same as them. But I want to republish the combination of the two new posts. So will it penalize my blog somehow? Or will Google think that this person is publishing the same content?
John 8:20
No, I think that’s usually fine. I mean, our systems would recognize when there’s significant duplication on a website, but for large part, those are normal things that happen on a website, like if you have a category page and a detail page for blog posts, then, obviously, on the category page, you’ll have some part of the blog post itself as well, which is duplication, but it’s also fine.
SEO Professional 2 8:46
Okay, so pardon me, I have got another question. So every time we often hear that Google likes fresh content, so if I have posted content in a post somehow in late 2020, and should I again repost it or update it, or should I repost it?
John 9:10
No, I mean, if it’s the same content, you don’t need to repost it. It’s not that we have a ranking boost for things that are fresh.
SEO Professional 2 9:21
So if I need to add something, or if I need to update it, will I update? Should I update it or should I repost it?
John 9:29
I would just update it. I think that’s perfectly fine.
SEO Professional 2 9:35
Okay. Thank you so much. That’s all. That was all my query for today. Thanks.
