What is "duplicate content" in the context of SEO?

Duplicate content in the context of SEO refers to content that appears on multiple pages, either within the same website or across different websites. This can create confusion for search engines, which may struggle to determine which version of the content to prioritize in search results. As a result, duplicate content can dilute the potential ranking power of the content and negatively impact a site's SEO performance.

It’s important to address issues of duplicate content through various methods, such as implementing canonical tags or redirecting to a preferred version of the content. This helps search engines understand which page should be considered the primary source, thereby consolidating the SEO value and improving rankings.

Unique content is beneficial for SEO as it provides value and relevance to users, establishing authority and helping search engines determine a webpage’s importance. High traffic is more related to the popularity of a page rather than its content duplication. Additionally, frequently updated content can help keep a site relevant, but it does not inherently address the issue of duplicate content.