It’s a digital age and businesses are suggested to reach diverse geographic markets. However, this sometimes involves handling duplicate content across localized websites. It is a common concern for SEO professionals and digital marketers. They try to optimize online presence without falling afoul of Google’s search algorithms.

John Mueller from Google’s Search Relations team addressed the issue lately during Google’s monthly SEO office hours. He said that localized content is not considered duplicate content.

Google usually views excessive duplicate content as a potential attempt to manipulate search rankings. The statement of Mueller said that businesses operating in multiple regions should adapt content to specific locales. It could be through translation or through cultural customization. Hence, such localized duplication is acceptable and necessary for delivering tailored experiences.

This means that having same website content available in different languages is acceptable. Using identical product or service descriptions on location-specific pages or subdomains is permissible. Duplicating company background across different location websites is also fine. Maintaining consistent name, address and phone  information across directories is acceptable.

However, businesses should not duplicate content indiscriminately across all their location-specific pages. It is to note that some pages require unique content to avoid sending conflicting signals to search engines. Service area pages should have unique descriptions. Using duplicate content could confuse search engines and diminish local SEO efforts. Moreover, while targeting a new city, it is important to craft fresh content to incorporate local landmarks, surrounding suburbs, customer testimonials and other localized details. Creating hyper-local, timely content tailored to trending topics and real-time events is important. It is better to utilize formats like lists, videos and infographics. These can help in creating unique and engaging content.