Internet Marketing Tips - FootLocker

Company: Footlocker

Search Engine Optimization Mistakes:
1) Duplicated Content

One of the most important considerations in search engine ranking is on-page content. Search engines are always being improved and updated in the war against spam, and with the goal of finding the most relevant information. One factor that is taken into account is whether or not the on-page content is unique to the site, or whether it appears elsewhere on the web. If it sees that the information listed on your site is the same as the info listed on 20 other sites, you may be penalized for it.

With footlocker.com we have an excellent example of where duplicate content is used. When you look at the Nike Zoom Lebron III basketball shoe you will see a description that is also listed on many other websites selling the same shoe.

Because Foot Locker is one of the largest suppliers of shoes in the United States, you would expect that their website would be found in the top 10 when searching for this particular shoe. But in fact when you search for ‘Nike Zoom Lebron III’, footlocker.com does not appear anywhere near the top of the organic listings.

What should be done?
The content should be re-written. The more relevant the content is towards the targeted search term, the better you are going to rank. If your content is unique then you won’t have to worry about any kind of penalty counting against you.

If a site as powerful as footlocker.com has problems getting rankings for its inventory because of duplicate content penalties, imagine how hard it will be for a local business to get rankings for its targeted terms.

Comments
Duplicate content is a problem often encountered by people who aren’t very SEO savvy. Many businesses are quick to buy into pre-made template websites that have much of the content already written. That same template website may have also been sold to possibly hundreds of other customers and will count against you as duplicate content.