Google doesn't like duplicate content, we all know this. But what makes no sense to me is that when I write and article on ezinearticles.com, and someone else publishes my article on their blog (with credit of course), shouldn't my original article be punished because of the "duplicate content" theory? Why is this duplicate content ok with Google, but if you take the content from your website and copy it over to your blog, you're penalized? Just trying to figure out one more mystery of Google!!
Google will only penalize the articles to publish the same content after the first appearance of the same content has been indexed. The other content after that won't be indexed and may be penalized. Its quite a mysterious subject really....
This shows the fallacy of the "duplicate content" rumor the way it's being represented. Actual duplicate content is scraping an entire webpage and creating an exact duplicate of that webpage. In that case, the first page is indexed and the duplicate is not. People are not getting penalized for using article directories like Ezinearticles the way it's intended; publishing the articles, complete with author's bio box, on their websites. Everybody's been so afraid of "duplicate content" the way they've heard it rumored that they are now afraid to use the resources available to them the way they were meant to be used.
You know, Angela has a point here. There are a lot of more experienced affiliate marketers than myself who say duplicate content is not as we perceive it Having said this, I would be reluctant to post an article from the article directories on any of my site. Just playing it safe I suppose
The only rule you need to stick to regarding duplicate content is not to post duplicate material on your own websites.