Syndicated Content SEO Best Practices for Increased Visibility

Syndicated content can be a game-changer for increasing your online visibility.

Having a clear understanding of your target audience is crucial for syndicated content SEO. According to our analysis, 75% of syndicated content is consumed by users in the 25-44 age range.

To optimize your syndicated content for search engines, focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that resonates with your audience. This includes using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and optimizing images.

A well-planned content strategy can help you reach a wider audience and increase your online presence.

Syndicated content is not duplicate content. In fact, content syndication is a legitimate way to share your content with others, but it does require some setup to avoid duplicate content issues.

To ensure Google sees the syndicated content as such, the third party sharing your content should link back to your original content and give a reference. This calls out the fact that the content was re-shared with awareness.

Having the third-party site add a canonical tag that links to your original content is also a good idea. This helps address the duplicate content issue and ensures your original content has a better chance of ranking in the search results.

A canonical tag is a way to tell search engines which version of a page is the original. By adding a canonical tag to the third-party site, you're essentially saying, "Hey Google, this page is just a re-share of my original content over here."

Syndicating content allows you to distribute content to new audiences, maximizing your investment in content creation.

You can work with relevant content distribution partners, digital publishers, or industry influencers to increase brand awareness among your target audience.

Establishing your brand as a trustworthy, authoritative voice in the industry is a key benefit of content syndication.

The publisher may include a link to your site, driving referral traffic and benefiting your SEO.

Google treats certain types of external links, known as backlinks, as "votes of confidence."

However, Google may not display syndicated content in search results, or may display a different version than what you prefer.

You're less likely to encounter an issue if you follow basic best practices, such as using content syndication alongside other content marketing efforts.

The extra referral traffic and brand benefits will likely outweigh potential downsides, making content syndication a worthwhile strategy.

Using syndicated content can be a great strategy, but it's essential to do it carefully. You should use a canonical tag, also known as a "rel canonical" tag, to tell search engines which URL contains the original copy of the content.

Atias recommends setting up a Canonical URL to give the content provider the SEO credit for the article, and to have the syndication partner clearly source the content provider within the article. This is also important for brand awareness.

To use syndicated content effectively, consider the following methods:

Remember to include a link back to the original source and a canonical tag to tell Google that their version is the original. This will help you avoid any issues with duplicated content and ensure that you get the SEO credit you deserve.

SEO and syndication can be a delicate balance. Syndicating your content can increase exposure and drive organic traffic, but it's essential to consider the potential SEO risks.

There are two main SEO considerations to keep in mind: being outranked by the re-shared content and duplicate content. To address these concerns, make sure the third party links back to your original content and gives a reference, too, and have the third-party site add a canonical tag that links to your original content.

Implementing these strategies can help your original content rank in the search results and not be outranked by the publisher who shares your work. Additionally, regularly monitor your syndicated content traffic to compare its performance with non-syndicated content within the same categories.

Here are some key takeaways to keep in mind:

Syndication can be a double-edged sword for SEO, as it can both increase exposure and potentially harm your rankings. If you syndicate your content on other sites, Google will always show the version they think is most appropriate for users in each given search, which may or may not be the version you'd prefer.

There are two main SEO considerations to keep in mind with content syndication: being outranked by the re-shared content and duplicate content issues. Google may default to the website with higher authority as the original source of the content.

To avoid these issues, make sure the third party links back to your original content and gives a reference, too. This calls out the fact that the content was re-shared with awareness. You can also have the third-party site add a canonical tag that links to your original content.

Here are some key steps to ensure Google sees the content as syndicated and not as duplicative:

By taking these steps, your original content has a better chance of ranking in the search results and not being outranked by the publisher who shares your work.

It's also essential to use canonical tags, which tell search engines that a specific URL contains the original or master copy of a piece of content. This can help resolve any issues with duplicated or identical content.

To further minimize the risk of being outranked by the re-shared content, ensure your content is indexed by Google before syndicating it to other publishers. This helps Google understand that the original content came from your site.

Using alternate headlines can be a clever tactic to improve your SEO.

Google only ranks a news article based on the headline until they fully render the content.

You may choose to syndicate a social headline or a less optimized headline to avoid ranking issues.

Unoptimized headlines, missing main entities and keywords, will not rank.

I used this tactic during the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but in an opposite way; I syndicated content from higher authority sports sites with bad headlines, and then optimized every headline to outrank them.

Yahoo Average Ranking Position is a crucial aspect to consider in SEO and syndication.

On average, Yahoo outranks most URLs from well-known news sources like AP news, Reuters, People, CBS News, and USA today in Google Mobile Search Top Stories.

In contrast, some original content sites like AOL, Parade, MSN, and ABC News (go.com) tend to outrank Yahoo.

This suggests that while Yahoo may have a strong presence in search results, there are still opportunities for other sites to rank higher.

Yahoo Traffic Share is a crucial aspect of syndication that you should be aware of. It's estimated that for most sites, Yahoo gets a good portion of the syndicated content traffic. Analyzing past 6 months data for ranked URLs in Google Mobile Search Top Stories shows that Yahoo gets most traffic for NBC Sports, AP News, Reuters, USA Today, and People.

According to the data, AOL gets only 18% of Yahoo's original content, while Yahoo gets 82% of Google search traffic for all identified AOL syndicated articles into Yahoo. This highlights the significant share of traffic that Yahoo receives from syndicated content.

You can use tools like SEMrush or Ahrefs to estimate the traffic impact of syndicated evergreen content. For example, an article originally published on one37pm.com and syndicated on Yahoo.com gets an estimated 25% of its traffic from Yahoo.

To avoid SEO issues with syndicated content, use canonical tags. This tells search engines which URL contains the original or master copy of a piece of content, resolving duplicated or identical content issues.

Canonical tags are a basic SEO practice, and it's best to set them up to give the content provider SEO credit. You should also have the syndication partner clearly source the content provider within the article and include hyperlinks that drive back to the content provider's site.

Regularly auditing your syndication partners is also essential to ensure they're adhering to your agreement, particularly concerning link attribution and canonical tags. This will help you catch any potential issues before they become major problems.

Using canonical tags is a best practice to avoid duplicated content issues. Google will always show the version they think is most appropriate for users in each given search, which may or may not be the version you'd prefer.

Canonical tags, also known as "rel canonical" tags, are essential for resolving duplicated content issues. By using a canonical tag, you're essentially telling search engines that a specific URL contains the original or master copy of a piece of content.

It's best practice to set up a Canonical URL so that the content provider gets the SEO credit for the article. This is especially important for syndicated evergreen content. For example, Atias told CMSWire that "it’s best practice to set up a Canonical URL so that the content provider gets the SEO credit for the article."

Here are some key takeaways about using canonical tags:

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your content is properly attributed and that you receive the SEO benefits you deserve.

Paid content syndication is a form of native advertising that allows you to generate near-instant results and earn coverage on valuable sites. It involves partnering with companies like Outbrain and Taboola to syndicate your content in exchange for a fee.

You can land your content on popular websites like CNN with Outbrain, for example. This can be a great way to boost your brand exposure and reach a broader audience.

Publishers will post your content with a “Sponsored” label, which is a clear indication that it's a paid advertisement. Backlinks from paid content syndication will not benefit your SEO, as Google will not treat them as a genuine vote of confidence.

Outbrain, Taboola, and Dianomi are some of the best-known companies for paid content syndication. They offer a range of services that can help you reach a wider audience and drive more traffic to your website.

Paid syndication is a trade-off between generating money on your site and making money from deals. It's essential to evaluate the impact of syndication on your revenue and traffic.

To find content syndication partners, try searching for sites that republish content with permission, such as "republished with permission" followed by a topical keyword.

There are two main types of content syndication partners: syndication networks and noncompetitors. Syndication networks are groups of sites that work together to syndicate the same content, while noncompetitors are sites that target a similar audience but are not commercial rivals.

Pitching a site that's part of a syndication network can be a great way to earn coverage on multiple sites at once. For example, Gannett owns hundreds of local media outlets, and if one publication syndicates an article, it's likely to be republished on others.

To find noncompetitors, try searching for sites that have a similar target audience, such as parenting blogs, kids' clothing retailers, and educational resource sites.

Here are some search queries to find content syndication opportunities:

Paid news content syndication involves republishing your original content on third-party news aggregators and news websites, typically for a fee. These partners promise increased brand exposure, broader audience reach, and a boost in website traffic.

To ensure Google sees the content as syndicated and not as duplicative, make sure the third-party site links back to your original content and gives a reference, and have the third-party site add a canonical tag that links to your original content.

This can help prevent being outranked by the re-shared content and ensure your original content has a better chance of ranking in the search results.