Third-Party Content: Is It Good Or Bad For SEO?
When used strategically and responsibly, third-party content can improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) value by delivering helpful and accurate information to users. However, misusing third-party content comes with significant risks. Google released a website reputation abuse policy to combat the unethical practice of one user or entity abusing another website’s reputation to gain a SEO advantage. The policy focuses on the publishing of another’s content, or third-party content, with no oversight, to manipulate your own ranking in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs).
At Blue Compass, we prioritize creating unique and authentic content to deliver the best results to users searching for our digital marketing products and services or asking any questions regarding our industry. We strongly encourage our clients to do the same as Google rewards websites who clearly show that they want to provide value to its users. Our digital marketing experts delve into what the website reputation abuse policy means and whether or not third-party content can still provide value for your website and its users.
What Is Third-Party Content?
Any content that is created by someone or something other than you, including artificial intelligence (AI), is considered content from a third-party source. Third-party content can include blog posts, social media posts, videos, images, data and more. Many websites use third-party content, AI-generated content being the most popular, to gain an advantage of their own in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). This practice is referred to as “parasite SEO.” Parasite SEO is the strategy of using third-party platforms to rank higher in search results, often without the original creator's consent. However, not all websites are simply trying to trick Google into ranking higher. Content from third parties can be a great way to provide your users with more resources and information they can benefit from.
What Is AI-Generated Content?
AI-generated content is any type of digital content created using artificial intelligence models, including but not limited to ChatGPT, Baird CopyAI, Writesonic, etc. These resources are often flagged by Google for being duplicate and lacking authenticity, and can harm your website’s SEO value leading to lower rankings in search results. AI models use existing content found across the web to develop a single resource that is seemingly unique. Additionally, the content in which AI models use has often been around for six months or more and can lack relevance.
With the growing popularity of AI-generated content, the need for original, quality content is more prominent than ever before. We can assume based on Google’s algorithm that AI-content will soon begin to cannibalize itself as it runs out of original content resources to pull data from. Creating original content will not only help improve your own website’s SEO and discoverability, but also improve the quality of generative AI.
Third-Party Content Examples
There are many examples of third-party content, some more common than others, but all of which can be flagged by Google’s policy and harm your website’s ranking without proper consideration. Before we get into the nitty gritty of how Google views third-party content and how you can use it to your advantage, let’s review different third-party content examples:
- Republishing articles from another website.
- Sharing content created by other users or businesses on social platforms.
- Embedding YouTube videos or other media created by external creators on your website.
- Reviews, testimonials, or comments created by users outside your organization.
- AI-generated content created from various resources across the web.
How Third-Party Content Can Impact Your Website’s Reputation
Google evaluates websites that use third-party content based on several factors, emphasizing originality, value and user experience. Google aims to provide users with the best available results across the web based on their search query and intent. Following Google’s best practices regarding their website reputation abuse policy is to show that you care about your users and deliver content that will truly benefit them. Abusing this policy is a problematic practice that disservices users as you try to gain an advantage over competitors by taking a shortcut.
Third-Party Content Can Lead To Duplicate Content Issues
For over a decade, Google has considered duplicate content a red flag. Websites that heavily rely on third-party content without adding unique value risk being penalized. If the same content is found on your website and another, Google may favor the original source. Therefore, it's critical to make all content on your website unique. This not only shows Google that you're a credible source but also ensures you provide unique value to users, thereby avoiding potential penalties and enhancing your website's reputation and performance. Integrating your own first-party content with content from a different source ensures your own personalization and connection with customers and can lead to improved user engagement and authenticity with Google. Quotes from your employees or clients and original reactions to changes and updates in the industry are just a few examples of how you can incorporate first-party content to make third-party resources your own in the eyes of Google and users.
Third-Party Content Must Have Relevance & Quality
Google prioritizes sites offering fresh, unique and relevant content, so websites that depend on third-party content without original value added may struggle to rank. Third-party content can be outdated and no longer relevant or applicable to users, but it’s also a great way to gain ideas and inspiration. If your website uses third-party content, make it your own by showcasing your company’s expertise. Talk about your own experiences or client case studies to showcase the unique challenges a particular company or industry could face, or successes. This will not only help your website stand out, but also empower you with the knowledge that you are providing unique and valuable content to your users.
Add Sufficient Context Or Value To Third-Party Content
Google will penalize websites with third-party content lacking sufficient context or value for users. We refer to these pages as having “thin” content or insufficient content, which can hurt rankings. Thin content is one of Google’s many considerations for all pages, not just those using third-party content. At Blue Compass, we recommend having at least 600 words or more on all main pages of your website or 1,000 words or more for pages like blogs and articles. Third-party content can be a great starting point on which to build. Often, our clients utilizing third-party content will combine multiple shorter resources to create one unique, larger piece. Again, always ensure you are making that content your own by adding your expertise, insights and brand voice to avoid being penalized.
Avoid Third-Party Content Attribution & Licensing Issues
Content licensing allows companies to republish or repurpose published material through a legal agreement, often called a copyright license. It’s a flexible solution for companies looking to add to their blog posts or other content initiatives. Failure to properly attribute third-party content or use copyrighted material without permission may lead to penalties for legal issues such as copyright infringement. These penalties can be avoided by clearly stating the original source and providing the author’s name, publication, and a direct link to the content. Citing the source is especially important for third-party social posts and data.
Consider Google’s E-E-A-T When Using Third-Party Content
Google's E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness) framework is a key player in website ranking. Over-reliance on third-party content can diminish your website's perceived authority and trustworthiness if it lacks expertise or original contributions. This can also harm your brand's relationship with customers, as trustworthiness is one of the main reasons customers return to your business after an experience or interaction. Therefore, understanding and implementing E-E-A-T principles is crucial for building and maintaining customer loyalty.
Tips For Using Third-Party Content Effectively
Always give the proper credit and ensure you are not misinterpreting the original information, and you can utilize third-party content to enhance your website's SEO value and ranking potential. By responsibly incorporating third-party content and enhancing its value, you can avoid penalties and improve your SEO value:
- Use third-party content as a supplement rather than the core. Pair it with original research, analysis or perspective.
- Enhance the value of your content by including additional details, explanations, or data. This robust and valuable content will instill confidence in your SEO strategy.
- Always credit the source and ensure you have the right to use the content. Use proper rel=" canonical" tags if republishing with permission.
- Reassure your content strategy by creating third-party content carefully, ensuring it aligns with your website's focus and meets user expectations.
- Structure your content for SEO. Optimize metadata, headings, and user experience to ensure your page performs well in search rankings.
How To Improve Your Website’s Reputation With Third-Party Content
It’s a great way to reach a larger audience, share a diverse range of topics that can pique the interest of your audience, and showcase your brand’s expertise. Content marketing is a vital player in digital marketing and is heavily involved in all types of strategies. If getting users to engage with your website is important to you and your business, then third-party content can significantly improve content output, saving you time and money, all while building your brand’s credibility and authority on Google. Here are some ways you can utilize third-party content to expand your digital marketing efforts:
- Third-party content, particularly blogs and news articles, offers significant benefits for your online presence. It allows you to share diverse industry viewpoints, showcasing your expertise. These third-party websites are rich sources of new information that, when aligned with your brand's voice and values, can build trust with your customers. Moreover, it helps Google recognize your website as a credible resource, potentially boosting its ranking in SERPs.
- Website credibility is not just a buzzword, but a crucial factor in Google's ranking algorithm. As mentioned, citing authoritative sources is a powerful way to lend credibility to your message. By contributing to the knowledge and experience of users online, you're proving to Google that your website is a reliable source of valid information, making it more valuable to users.
- The time and resources it takes to curate content, like social posts, can be significantly reduced with third-party content. Using pre-existing content removes the effort required to create everything from scratch. Third-party sources are an excellent place to find inspiration, sparking your creativity. Don’t forget to build on the new ideas found in third-party content to create something unique and original for your users.
Our Experts Can Help Determine If Third-Party Content Is Right For You
If you are interested in developing unique content showcasing your expertise and don't have the resources or capacity, we can help! Blue Compass has experience creating effective strategies to help businesses reach more online prospects. Check out our portfolio to see the content we create for our clients, or reach out to learn more about our content marketing expertise.