If two websites pull the same content from the same source in a CMS, does it count as duplicate content?

[HeadwatersContent]

I have a client who wants to publish the same information about a hotel (summary, bullet list of amenities, roughly 200 words + images) to two different websites that they own. One is their main company website where the goal is booking, the other is a special program where that hotel is featured as an option for booking under this special promotion.

Both websites are pulling the same content file from a centralized CMS, but they are different domains. My question is two fold:

• To a search engine does this count as duplicate content?

• If it does, is there a way to configure the publishing of this content to avoid SEO penalties (such as a feed of content to the microsite, etc.) or should the content be written uniquely from one site to the next?

Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

[Syed1]

If they pull the same content even from different sources, there still could be duplicate content issue. Most likely the higher authority site will be considered as the 'original' source.

The content needs to written uniquely - at least re-written extensively enough (new words, different phrasing, etc) so it passes Copyscape test

[SEOKeith]

Yes Google will flag this as duplicate content eventually, chances are one will rank and the other wont.

Unless both of the sites are on the same server and of poor quality, in which case I doubt any of them will rank well.

The only way to not get penalized would be to create unique content on each site.

Why not just integrate both of the sites and create a promotion page?

[HeadwatersContent]

Thanks for your response. This helps.

[HeadwatersContent]

Appreciate the response, Keith. The integration would be ideal, I agree. It has to do more with the booking path of the properties and how they have that set up (proceeds for one booking goes to different organizations, and this is how they want to keep it ironed out). Your response was very helpful, though. Validated my hunch. Thanks...