Syndicated Content, Spun Syndicated Content, or Unique Content

[metra]

Hey Guys

I have a few questions regarding the best approach towards the '3 types of content': Syndicated Content (pure, unedited / unspun), Syndicated Content (spun), and 100% Unique Content.

On one of of my websites I decided to go the syndication route - the past few months I've been taking existing content, posting it on my site and providing a link back to the original source. I also syndicated this with some Web 2.0 properties, which link back to my primary site.

The dilemma is this:
Today I noticed that some of the articles on my main site are not ranking for my chosen keywords, but my web 2.0 properties are ranked on the first several pages! This is my understanding of what happened: Since the content is syndicated and I link back directly to the source, Google chooses to display the 'top' result for this particular copy of the content, scraps mine and displays the original page. My Web 2.0's, however, are pointing at my site and ranking fine.

To fix this, should I:
A) Spin the content on my site and still link back to the original source
B) Don't link back to the original source (exactly what my web 2.0's are doing, but I'm afraid of being penalized for dup content).
C) Incorporate some unique content into my articles (write a few paragraphs or so) and -- a) Link back to the original source - b) leave it be

So, I'm willing to hear the more experienced members out. What should one do in this case? What mistakes did I make? I believe we can all learn something from this discussion.

Note: I've been reading around and read that if a site is authoritative enough, it can rank even with 100% dup content. Well, this is exactly what is happening with the top site in my niche. This site has 100% copied content from the original site and links back to the original site from every post. Despite this, all of the articles are still ranking #1 for the chosen keywords. So I figured I should either take a different route with my content, or strive to become that more authoritative site so I can begin to get noticed with my syndicated content.

I appreciate any help and/or suggestions!

Best Regards,
- Metra

 

[metra]

Friendly Bump. Curious to see what you have to say!
Is syndicating content on a fairly new (few month old site) a bad idea? If not, did I go terribly wrong somewhere in the above process and just am not seeing it?

Best,
- Metra

 

[metra]

Ok, well, no replies quite yet.

I have a hypothesis as to what I did wrong (If this is the issue.. I really screwed up)

So, I have posts on my site with content that links back to the original source -- all of these links are "do follow"! It just hit me that I should've been making every one of these links back to the original source "nofollow" and then maybe these posts would be ranked higher and at least kept their link juice from my lower tiers.

If this was really my problem, then I feel like an idiot. At least I'm always learning from my mistakes...

--> I'm going through now and changing all of these links to "nofollow" ..

Best,
- Metra

 

[the-kashish]

Create a few of your own blogs.
Add original content to your homesite and syndicate content randomly to your blogs (manual made T1 Networks)

 

[metra]

Create a few of your own blogs.
Add original content to your homesite and syndicate content randomly to your blogs (manual made T1 Networks)

Thanks for the input, that's sort of what I'm currently doing. I have web 2.0's I syndicate across as well as some social bookmarking platforms.

I was primarily confused with how I should go about linking back to the original source of the syndicated content, but I've put some thought into it and sorted it out in my head
If anyone has any further suggestions I'd gladly take any advice.

Best Regards,
- Metra

 

[rambolife]

If you can, always use unique content.
Syndicated content is also wise, the same like alot of BIG companies use PR..

On your website only unique - web 2.02 properties you can syndicate.

 

[terebi]

So are you supposing that, if you syndicate an article and put a link back to the original article Google will consider that page as a dupe.

BUT if you syndicate an article and put a link to a different page then Google will not consider it a dupe and the "********" link juice passes?

BTW very interested in your experiment. I made a content generator and part of has an ability to syndicate content directly from RSS feeds.

I have already heard that even just mashing content can syndicating it, (even if not unique) can out do a single page on unique content.

 

[kappa84]

I am usually using like 1 unique article per 10 web 2.0 properties, no spinning. The indexing rate of web 2.0 is huge and the ranks of money sites usually increase, BUT gradually.

I will continue with this route rather than creating spun content, if it works why changing it.

 

[twilightofidols]

Think about how many news articles are syndicated from AP or other sources and still rank. Some sites are virtually nothing but duplicate content and still rank well. Others will never see the light of day in SERPs. When all is said and done the surest path to top of SERPs is unique and fresh content.

 

[Zukario]

Think about how many news articles are syndicated from AP or other sources and still rank. Some sites are virtually nothing but duplicate content and still rank well. Others will never see the light of day in SERPs. When all is said and done the surest path to top of SERPs is unique and fresh content.

Well in my opinion only authority sites might shine brightly in google these days compared to small thin niche blogs will ended up to be sandbox by the big G only.

 

[Codemax]

I find Twinja content spinner to be exceptional since it provides the ability to create syndicated content that is also spun. It uses a variable system so that uniqueness is not even a question. It also works for social networks, which is what google largely gauges authority on these days.

 

[ranksonic]

Nothing can be better than 100% unique content. But you still can have a few of syndicated with nofollow links.