In 2009, I ran an experiment to test whether Google actually penalizes duplicate content. The SEO community was full of debate about it, and I wanted to see for myself. What I learned is still relevant to how content and SEO work today, though the details have changed dramatically.
The Experiment
I created a niche site targeting keywords with decent AdSense payouts. I did keyword research, picked a domain, and identified six target keywords. Then, instead of writing original content, I went to EzineArticles.com and found one good article for each keyword. I posted each article on a new WordPress blog with only minor modifications: a new introductory paragraph and keyword-optimized title tags.
To promote the site, I built backlinks through a blog network, registered with a link exchange service, and submitted to social bookmarking sites. Then I waited to see what would happen.
My hypothesis was that Google could not reliably distinguish between legitimately syndicated content and scraped duplicate content, and that the site would rank for its target keywords based on the strength of its backlinks rather than the originality of its content.
What Actually Happened
In 2009, this kind of approach could work, at least for a while. Sites built on syndicated content with aggressive link building could rank and generate ad revenue. But Google was already working on solving this problem, and the solutions came in waves.
The Panda update in 2011 specifically targeted thin and low-quality content, including sites built primarily on duplicate or scraped material. The Penguin update in 2012 went after manipulative link building practices. Together, these updates demolished the business model my experiment was testing.
What This Means for Content in 2026
Google is dramatically better at understanding content in 2026 than it was in 2009. The search engine can identify the original source of content, understand semantic meaning rather than just matching keywords, and evaluate whether a page adds genuine value for the user.
Duplicate content does not trigger a “penalty” in the traditional sense. Google does not punish you for having syndicated content. What it does is choose which version of duplicated content to show in search results, and it almost always chooses the original source or the most authoritative version. If your site is the copy, you simply will not rank.
The practical implication is straightforward. If you want organic search traffic, you need to create original content that offers something the existing results do not. That might mean a unique perspective, original data, better organization, more current information, or deeper expertise. Simply republishing what already exists will not earn you rankings no matter how many backlinks you build.
Legitimate Content Syndication Still Works
There are legitimate reasons to syndicate content in 2026. Republishing your blog post on Medium or LinkedIn with a canonical tag pointing back to the original is fine. Syndicating your content through a partnership with another publication can expand your reach. Guest posting with original content on other sites builds authority and backlinks.
The key distinction is intent and value. Are you creating something useful for readers, or are you trying to trick a search engine? Google has gotten remarkably good at telling the difference.
The Bottom Line
My 2009 experiment tested whether you could build a profitable site on other people's content. The short answer in 2026 is no. Invest your time in creating original, valuable content and you will build something that grows over time. Try to shortcut the process with duplicate content and you will build something that Google ignores.
I know the blog will start rank, eventually.
I did this test a couple of months ago to the swedish SEO-community, showing that my original written content, published on 3 different locations ALL ranked on the same SERP, on the same keywords.
Will follow this experiment …
Hi Mark,
Can you explain again, please, how the auction items help you with avoiding contamination?
And, while we’re at it, I never really understood tags. When I started blogging a year ago, the word was that tags were obsolete and not as widely used within the WP community. So I never really took the time to get into it… tags? why? any benefit with the SE’s?
Cheers,
Alex
How do you put auctions on tag pages ?
Can you show me this on one domain (must not be this one of the experiment).
Feel free to PM me
ciao
alex
I know what tags pages are and how to set them up (I too had some good results in the SERPS with them), what i DON’T know is how to append keyword related auctions at the bottom of tag pages.
No, no. No insulting, wanted just to clarify my question.
Comunication in written form in a foreign language sometimes can get difficult. 🙂
ciao
alex
Oh looking forward to that post…. I rank well for a lot of tag pages too
@Patrik — I think you are right. It will be nice to have data.
@Alex Net– the tag pages have excerpts from the articles that are tagged. After that, I add auctions. The description text for those auctions varies depending what is up for sale at ebay at the time.
Regarding tags, I am not sure if they are dead or alive. I find them very useful. For example, if you want to see all my posts on phpBay (the software I use for auctions), you can see them here on this tag page: http://www.masonworld.com/tag/phpbay/. Garry Conn has actually been able to rank tag pages for really competitive terms like Make Money Online.
@Alex Big — tag pages are usually constructed in archive.php. You simply edit the php code to insert whatever auction code that you want. I will send you an example. If there are more people interested in this, let me know.
@Alex — of course. I’m sorry. Did not mean to insult you.
I use phpBay. You can inject the phpBay code using a php echo command.
I will try to post the details later this week.
This is a very interesting subject and experiment that I would like to see the results for. I was wondering the same thing and spoke to my Mentor about it. I am article marketing in my niche and was worried about duplicate content. I was told that some say that it exists and some say it doesn’t. However I think it does to some extent and when Google change their algorithms that you do get slapped eventually. How hard may depend on the content of the site and other factors that I don’t have a clue about.
Great experiment! Good luck and look forward to the results.
Hi Mark,
Great Micro Niche Video, I have got MNF did not know it could be so easy
to get a website set up. thanks for sharing and will be looking into this more.
thanks again
Mick
Hey Mark,
Very nice blog. I have just added it to my favorites.
This controversy over whether duplicate content penalties exist
or not has really been a thorn in my side. You know you can’t get
an answer from Google so you have to try and rely on all the so
called SEO experts out there. But who to believe?
This is a straight up question that I would appreciate if you could
answer to the best of your abilities.
If I write a 100% original article and post it on my blog and then
submit the exact same article to ezinearticles.com and goarticles.com
plus tons more article directories using articlemarketer.com will I suffer
the consequences of duplicate content.
I have got so many different answers on this question but I’d like your
opinion please.
Thanks,
Jeff Sargent
Thanks Jeff;
Great question. I of course do not know for sure. Only Big G knows.
I believe the answer is that you may find that eZineArticles may outrank you for your own content. In an extreme case where you post to many article directories, you may find that you are outranked many times, and that your content is “suppressed” into the “duplicate listings” area (that link they put at the end that says more results exist).
I say let’s test it!
I will write a post and put it here and at eZineArticles at the same time. It will appear here first (since eZineArticles has an approval queue time), then we will track the results.
Agreed?
Got this from my Mentor when discussing it with him. http://www.InfoProductsMadeEasy.com
If you think about it logically, if the duplicate content thing was an issue then most of the article directories, particularly the big ones like EzineArticles would go out of business. Why? Because nobody would use their articles as they’d be afraid of the duplicate content issue. The fact is, that when these articles are used by other sites or blogs etc they are placed on a page that will have a fair bit of additional content on it. They wiol have different headers, different graphics, different site navigation etc all of which dilutes the copied content which becomes only part of that page. That is just one argument debunking the duplicate content theory.
Hope this helps?
@Mick — you are quite welcome.
Yes Michael, that’s what I know too. I was just going to write a comment about it 🙂 Lol
When someone uses an article it’s only “duplicate content” if the whole page is copied not very probably, but this usually happens with blogs. When someone publishes a post in several categories, for example.
And the “penalty” is not really a penalty. It’s not like your whole site is going to be thrown out of the index. The duplicate page with the higher PR will be ranked high and the other one with the lower PR will be ranked somewhere… (where no man has gone before) but only that particular page…
Cheers,
Alex
Hey Mark,
Thanks for conducting a test on this.
I just did a test myself on seversl articles I wrote. I posted
them on my blog first and waited about a week and submitted
them to ezinearticles.
They outrank me on all articles by doing a search in Google
using the title of the article.
If I do a search in quotes somtimes I rank 2nd behind ezine
articles. Other times I don’t show at all. I’ll get the following
message.
“In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted
some entries very similar to the 20 already displayed. If you like,
you can repeat the search with the omitted results included.”
If I repeat the search with the omitted results included I usually
rank 2nd again behind ezinearticles. But sometimes I don’t rank at all.
One article I went through 20 pages and still couldn’t find it.
If I do a search without quotes somtimes I rank 2nd behind ezine
articles. Sometimes I rank way down. Other article directories and
other websites that publish my articles outrank me by many pages.
I’m not an SEO expert so I’m not sure what all this means.
That’s why I’m here on your blog hoping you can help me figure out
the mystery behind Google when it comes to duplicate content.
So it sounds like you’re dead on.
I don’t expect to outrank Ezine Articles but what would you suggest I do
to outrank the other sites for my own articles.
Thanks,
Jeff Sargent
Ezine has high page rank, so it will naturally out-rank you initially. For the most part (as far as Google is concerned), to outrank the other sites you’ll need more targeted links. That can take time. But if you take the time, you can eventually out-rank them.
In the mean time, those sites will send you some traffic.
Hi Mark,
In response to your post below on the 28th Jan as follows:-
I believe the answer is that you may find that eZineArticles may outrank you for your own content. In an extreme case where you post to many article directories, you may find that you are outranked many times, and that your content is “suppressed” into the “duplicate listings” area (that link they put at the end that says more results exist).
I say let’s test it!
I will write a post and put it here and at eZineArticles at the same time. It will appear here first (since eZineArticles has an approval queue time), then we will track the results.
My Thoughts:-
I am no expert, but in my humble opinion I don’t think you can outrank them. From a logical point of view they will have far more content as everyone submits to them. This will give them a higher page rank. I feel unless it’s a subject that has little interest (Where you can possibly do it) it can’t be done.
I hope you prove me wrong and give us all some hope so I look forward to the results.