This was originally a question I got at Search Engine Journal for my Ask an SEO column, but the SEJ team felt it was too niche. I already wrote the content and hate wasting work, so I’m publishing it here instead. 🙂
Satyeshu asks:
“Each month, we create multiple articles. While the keywords, topics, and user intent differ for each article, the underlying steps to fix the issues are often very similar or even identical across multiple articles.
My concern is whether Google might flag such content as duplicate or low-quality, even though the topics and intents are unique.
What are some best practices on handling repetitive solutions in content while ensuring it remains SEO-friendly?”
Great question and it does not sound like something I would worry about for a few reasons:
- You are being factual and giving step-by-step instructions that provide a specific solution.
- Some solutions will have similar steps, just like baking, home repairs, and other processes. These are expected to be repetitive.
- Duplicate content is likely not an issue here because the content will vary, even with similar steps.
TL:DR
No, having content that uses similar steps in a process won’t cause duplicate content issues if they do in fact provide solutions to a specific problem. It is like having a cooking website with five recipes for chocolate chip cookies. One may be peanut butter, one gluten free, one with walnuts, etc… Each has similar steps and the ingredients do not change much, but they all serve a different purpose and complement each other. Skip to the first header to read how we differentiate with client work.
Long version
Let’s start with dish soap as an example so there’s something for everyone in this post. Dish soap can be used as hand soap, both dish and hand soap are called soap, they can both go in your kitchen, and they both likely contain some of the same ingredients. They both use water and both use scrubbing to work, but one is for scrubbing dishes and the other for scrubbing your hands. The search engines need a way to determine which is which.
This is where BERT and MUM as well as vectors and entities in SEO come into play. It is also vital for AIO, GEO, and LLMs.
The vectors are the ingredients that break up grease for dishes, and ones that have gentle ingredients or scents like eucalyptus for your hands. The ingredients listed on the page signal to the search engines what the purpose of the soap is, especially when it is combined with proper code.
Here’s a second example with tie dying a t-shirt, then I’ll get into software and similar step-by-step processes.
Tie dying a shirt is similar in that you have a goal which is coloring the shirt, but you want different patterns. You’re likely going to shape and rubber band the sections of the shirt, then dip it into the dye. This is the same no matter what type of tie dying you’re doing. It’s a matter of using proper modifiers and being specific with the expected outcome.
Folding the shirt and placing rubber bands in a specific pattern will create a heart, while others create circles, and others create swirls. The search engines are smart enough to pick up on the smaller differences even though the steps are the same. They will be able to show the right page for the right query when you use the right words and code. i.e. how to make a heart shaped tie dye shirt vs. how to make a swirl tie dye shirt.
What I’d be more concerned about is trying to add content for the sake of preventing duplicate content. If you’re adding words to try and offset the duplicate content, there’s a likely chance you’ll bury the actual solution lower on the page. This makes the page less user friendly. Similar to a recipe website that buries the recipe under paragraphs about their family, why they love the recipe, etc…
Giving the solution front and center is always best, even though I just did the opposite here by sharing examples vs. the solution first. If you’re still concerned about duplicate content or cannibalization because of repeat steps in a process, here’s a few tests and solutions to help alleviate your fears.
Add In Multiple Fixes
Instead of just doing one solution per post, include two or more options to complete the solution. You can put the easiest one at the top of the post and the alternatives below. In the beginning of the post include anchor links that drop down and put each solution in a header tag (probably H2 or H3 depending how your posts or guides are structured.)
If they are similar solutions in the same program or piece of equipment, line up the pieces of equipment or software and add jump links. The first can go to the steps that apply to each, then a second set of jump links to the specific sections that are what the user is looking for.
Use Situations
A personal favorite is to use situations and resources available by time periods. In the opening of the page, share when the issue would come up and try to relate to the user. You could talk about late night issues that happen during backups when there is less staff there to help with the fix, or share mid-day problems when calls are coming in to the help desk, so your time is more scarce and you need a patch fix vs. a full one.
Times can be:
- Time of day and staff resources
- Days of the week with weekends having less team members available
- Seasonal time frames like the holidays when marketing and advertising are swamped or summers when people are out of the office on vaction
Now share the temporary patches and full solutions, or options that can take more time or cost less. The steps may be similar to another problem, but the page itself is unique enough to this specific situation.
Use anchor links to drop down to each section from the top of the post helps the user can access the steps to create a solution. Also include information about the longevity of the solution if it is a patch, how to prevent it from being undone, etc… This is directly related to the solution and makes the page unique from the others.
Last add in tips based on your experience like recommending the person set a reminder on their calendar for a day that will be slower to implement the long term fix. This continues to explain which problem the solution is for and differentiates it from other similar pages.
Schema
How to schema was deprecated for mobile and desktop devices, but there is still blog posting. By using schema properly you can define the issue and the solution via markup (really easy to do so don’t panic if you’re not a techie, I’m not). How to schema has the “additional type” field which lets you source the problem or solution you’re fixing if there’s an entry in wikipedia or wikidata. It may come back with LLMs, so if you want to deploy it, there likely isn’t much harm.
To deploy how to schema go to Bing, Duck Duck Go, or Google and ask for a free schema builder. I’ve heard good things about the free one from SEO Clarity here, but I haven’t used/seen it in a long time. Regardless of which you use, enter the fields and steps in that you want and have it generate the schema for you. Now paste that into your page and run it through the schema.org validator.
Another option is to use the example from the link above off of “how to schema” which goes to the schema.org library. At the bottom of the page there is a sample for “how to change a spare tire.” Changing out the title and steps for the solution you’re providing works too.
Internal Links, Site and Folder Structure
One last thing you can do if you’re concerned about duplicate or competing pages (which you shouldn’t be in this situation) is to use internal links properly with folder structures. The folder structure can be broken out by issue type, software type, system type, enterprise/small business/personal, configurations, malware/attacks, protections, etc…
This helps with your site’s structure so people and search engines know the solutions are for specific software systems or people, even if they have the same steps. As you’re writing the guides, don’t forget to use internal links to reference similar solutions that could be an alternative. This can help to prevent the duplicate content issue.
Internal links are linking from one page on your website to another to help a reader find solutions or retrieve an explanation creating a better user experience. The search engines may use the keywords from these internal links to help determine the topic of the page they link to. Because the solutions are similar or use similar steps, the internal link may help to differentiate the posts by saying when to use which solution.
A lot of website owners from publishers to ecommerce stores and service providers worry about this. It is a non-issue as long as you are specific, clear with your wording, and provide situations that are directly relevant to when the solution makes sense.
