Text Similarity and How to Avoid It
Text similarity is a key component of plagiarism. To produce content that has chunks of similar text from existing articles or webpages on the internet would be a breach of academic ethics. In fact, a survey conducted by McCabe in more than 24 high schools in the US found that 58% students had plagiarized content at one point or another.Same or similar content under different URLs can harm SEO rankings too. If you are not aware of what counts as text similarity, here’s all you need to know.
Duplicate Content – Know the Types
Similar text or duplication can be categorized into internal and external. If the same content is visible on more than one page on your own website, it is termed as internal. This is also a form of plagiarism, since you have recycled the same ideas and opinions more than once.
On the other hand, external duplication is when the text is similar to that on different websites. Even if the title and examples differ but the main text is the same, Google will mark it as duplicated content.
Text similarity determines how close the content is in terms of semantic similarity (meaning) and lexical similarity (surface closeness). The most dangerous form of duplicate content takes place within two businesses from a single industry. The keywords are usually exactly the same. For example, if there are two wedding companies, the overlapping phrases could be wedding venue, wedding dresses and wedding dinner. Although their content will not be identical, identical keywords could mar their rankings.
How to Avoid Text Similarity
Detecting text similarity and correcting it isn’t tough. Here’s a step by step guide to avoid duplication.
Step 1: Make use of free online tools to compare pdf files. These checkers are quick and efficient, and deliver highlighted results of the changed, paraphrased or copied content. You can compare almost any type of text and upload from platforms like Google Docs and Dropbox as well. You will no longer have to go through the text manually.
Step 2: Now that the portions have been detected, remove the identical portions and replace with fresh content. Make sure to fill your article with personal examples, opinions and arguments. You can use proper evidence and studies to back up your claim, as long as you give credit to the source of the information.
Step 3: There will be certain areas that have been referred to from a particular website. Make sure to paraphrase the content well. Do not simply change the words and call it a day. Try to reconstruct the entire information. Change the structure and sequence of the text. However, keep in mind that the content is still logical after the changes. Do not forget to provide citations, since the information is still not original and has been sourced externally.
Apart from comparing pdf files online, you can set up HTTP redirect and canonical links. They will let Google know which page is the master copy. In fact, a “no index meta tag” will also prevent incorrect pages from getting indexed. These steps will go a long way to protect your SEO game and help you stay on top of the SERPs.
