The world of search engine optimization, or SEO, changes constantly and the website owner has two options. The webmaster can focus on shortcut methods, such as using articles found elsewhere on the web, or the webmaster can work on the creation of unique content. The first way may yield quick results, but the second way is the better choice for building a well-ranked, long-term site.

What, exactly, does unique content mean, and how does it help your site?

Let us begin with the first question. Unique content is as it sounds. It is content that you have written, or hired others to write, that is specific to your site. Minor episodes of plagiarism still count! You should not copy any portion of text from other sites.

First copying from other sites is unethical and in some cases illegal as well. That’s not the only reason you shouldn’t do it, though. Visitors to your site will return if they can find information that is not available elsewhere on the web. You need to provide not only unique wording but a unique point of view as well. If you were writing about cat training, for example, you would be different if you were saying that cats can be trained and giving ideas on what a cat lover could do. That’s different because most content writes cats off as incorrigible.

Unique content also benefits you from a search engine standpoint. Search engines must continue to improve on their results so that people will continue to use them. That means that they work hard to value quality content. One of the best ways to have a computer program rank content is by seeing how often it appears online. An article on 32 websites isn’t unique. That means that the search engine puts less emphasis on the sites with copied content.

A big component of the search engine optimization for your site is being able to provide unique content. You will not have to worry about being considered “black hat,” the SEO term for unethical practices. Your site will not be penalized for duplicate content, which means that you will have better search rankings – leading to your site having more visitors and more revenue.

by Brandi Leigh Rhoades, writer for KeywordCafe