Suggestions to avoid duplicate content

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Hi, we have about 6500 products, almost all with descriptions.  SEOMOZ is showing about 2500 of them with duplicate content.  The reason for this is that only one or two words are different for each product.  For example, we have 500 award certificates.  All are the same size and have the same description. But one is swimming, one baseball, one reading, etc, etc. Apparently the 1 word difference is not enough to differentiate.  We have the same issue with our trophies - they are identical, except for figures.  Does anyone have any good tips on how to change the content to avoid this issue and to avoid making up content for 2500 items?  Thanks!

Neil

trophycentral.com

[EGOL]

For example, we have 500 award certificates.  All are the same size and have the same description. But one is swimming, one baseball, one reading, etc, etc. Apparently the 1 word difference is not enough to differentiate.

These pages probably get very little google traffic and could cause a rankings reduction for your entire site.  I would be amazed if they are getting any respect from google.

Does anyone have any good tips on how to change the content to avoid this issue and to avoid making up content for 2500 items?

Here are the two obvious choices....

1. severely reduce the number of pages on your site... have one for award certificates and list all of the sports / activities that it can be given for.  Should be a really rich page... but not very optimized

2. start writing a substantive description for each of these products... you should be an expert on trophies and award certificates so there should not be anyone better qualified to do this than you.  All of these people went to great lengths to  earn their certificate... now if you want respect from google you gotta do the same

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Thanks very much for your replay and help!

At the end of the day, neither is easy and I will probably do a combination of both as I think it might deliver the most benefit.  My concern is that we have a lot of content for each product now, but it is very similar content because the products are the same (thus your suggestion of combining products makes a great deal of sense to me).

Thanks again...

[EGOL]

Doing a combination is a great idea.....  You know that you sell LOTS of some items.  Those are definitely worth writing about.  The ones that don't sell well don't merit as great of an investment.

At the end of the day, neither is easy...

I agree...  Have you ever visited PotPieGirl.com?   She has a great slogan for you....  "If you are willing to spend  a year doing what other people won't, you can then spend a lifetime doing what other people can't."

Think about that when you are writing your descriptions.

I really like that slogan...  and really enjoy some of her blog posts.

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That's is fabulous!  I have to check it out.  Thanks again!!