Performance after the Panda?

[nite]

Hi browntwn.

I have it stuck in my head that Google hates it when sites use content featured elsewhere on the web. Whether this content be in the form of RSS, Youtube, Twitter, Facebook comments, product reviews, or whatever else. The point is that it's not (or most of it isn't) original. In the most basic sense, Panda targeted those sites that scraped others without introducing any elements of originality. However, Google itself says that featuring small portions of content featured elsewhere is okay, provided that the page have elements of original content.

There is no problem in being an affiliate as long as you create some added value for your users and produce valuable content that gives a user a reason to visit your site. For example, you could create product reviews, ratings, and product comparisons.

Now, we aren't 100% sure how Google ranks sites, and we don't know what variables factor into the equation and their particular weight. But time and time again, Google says that would like to see original content. And I agree that creating thousands and thousands of sites detracts (using whatever software, including auto-blogging) from both originality and it makes it difficult for a webmaster to custom tailor each individual site.

And we’re evaluating multiple changes that should help drive spam levels even lower, including one change that primarily affects sites that copy others’ content and sites with low levels of original content.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/...gine-spam.html

Indeed, putting RSS and the like on a site will diversify its on-page content, however, because it is not original, I think that Google will eventually de-rank the site in question. In the very least, the site in question will catch Google's negative attention. If not now, then eventually. This might also explain why major merchants have squeezed out their affiliates who relied on the merchant for content.

Like everyone else, I'm trying to make heads or tails out of this, and I know that my new goal is to attempt to figure out how to introduce original content with Prosperent's catalog. I think putting up original descriptions is a start. However, since G is taking into consideration social networking, there has to be an element of social networking woven into the fabric of the overall shopping experience.

[browntwn]

Google says a lot of things.

I think a lot of what Cutts says is what Google would like you to do, not necessarily what you should do or can do without penalty. In fairness though, I think it is probably accurate that there are thresholds of duplicate content that will displease them.

[Zaphod]

Dupe content isn't all that bad, you don't get in trouble for it... Worst case is that google ignores it completely IMO... So, you need something original on the page for google to "see". Or you need lots of other good factors so that your total lack of content is outweighed by other positive factors . You can rank well just because of offsite factors alone if they're good enough