Will multiple items with same content be bad for SEO?

[blans]

I have multiple items (each product color being an seperate item) this because of usability, making it less likely for people to buy the wrong color.

Because of this all items have the same product description (being the same product with only different color).

Is this bad for my SEO?

I don't suppose there is a way to have only the picture change when selecting an item and keeping the same prod desc that the "parent" item has. Now I have to insert the same text for every item...

Thanks.

[blans]

Strange that no replies followed. There are probably lots of people that have multiple items which often means they have the same content.

I'm on hold here until I know if this influences SEO...

[Scar]

This is not really a VM question.

I'm not an expert on SEO but I know that SEO is not an exact science. There are a set of rules that you should try to follow but in my experience these rules don't always apply 100%. Duplicate content is one of these and there are different theories to read on a lot of sites around the net. I have a lot of double content on some of my sites, they still rank good but who knows, they might be better without the duplicate content. Try google it and decide for yourself what to do.

[blans]

Scar,

I totaly agree with you and I'm glad you recognize SEO as not being a exact science (too bad there are so many that shout otherwise).

But when you say this is not an VM question I disagree with you. For one this is the SEO, SEF section of VM so what better place to ask this question?

More important there must be more people that have to decide if they will put all their info in VM or have a simple VMshop section and have all the info in Joomla as articles.

I'm building a website with buying facility for an outdoor brand and I'm in doubt about having all productinfo in VM meaning lots of double content or having everything in Joomla meaning possible loads of backend work but less double content.

Every disadvantage has its advantage ah...? (Johan Cruyff)

[Scar]

I totaly agree with you and I'm glad you recognize SEO as not being a exact science (too bad there are so many that shout otherwise).

The more you know about it the less random things seem, like with everything (VM?). However regarding SEO there are a few things that I would say making at an unexact science. Maybe the most importatnt one being that it is totally subjective from the SE side. All rules are not open to take part of and so on. never mind...

But when you say this is not an VM question I disagree with you. For one this is the SEO, SEF section of VM so what better place to ask this question?

I didn't mean that is was in the wrong section or that we shouldn't discuss it. What I meant is that this is a general SEO question not specifically regarding VM. Therefore I think you will find better info in other places. I was just explaining because you found it so strange that no one replied, this is probably the reason I'd say.

More important there must be more people that have to decide if they will put all their info in VM or have a simple VMshop section and have all the info in Joomla as articles.

That might be another question to discuss but that questions wasn't here when I replied. It is somewhat off topic in this thread. Hmm, I think I read something else here, sorry.

I'm building a website with buying facility for an outdoor brand and I'm in doubt about having all productinfo in VM meaning lots of double content or having everything in Joomla meaning possible loads of backend work but less double content.

Why would you have double content in VM? You don't have to if you take care about where and how you place your products. I have chosen to go another way and rather be user friendly than SE friendly. That's just my choice. If you want both (which you are obviously gonna reply) you just have to take that old noodle for a spinn. Read about double content and read about what ou can and can't in VM, there are plenty of options.

[stinga]

G'day,

Since the description changes (the color) the products won't be the same, they will be similar.
Does that matter? Who knows! We have the same problem on our shop and it does not seem to matter that much, we get indexed, it is taking awhile though

[Scar]

Hi stinga,

similar content is to some extent duplicate content. There are no exact rules since Google and probably the other SEs as well won't share any information on how they judge this. SEO experts has done very extensive tests to work out how the rules apply but the results are always varying. Again, read their sites and decide for yourself which way to go.

Indexed is not enough, you want to be at the top! I'm at 3:d place on "Henri Lloyd" here in Sweden now, that's good enough for me. The last two costs too much money.

[stinga]

G'day Scar,

Yeah, I know similar might equal same but what can you do when the product you offer is the same just a small difference.
We rank on the first page for a lot of similar stuff, not withstanding the rouge ex-employee who tried their best to destroy the company.

I think you need to go with what feels good and is right for the end user, everyone says don't code for the SE.

[blans]

Thank you very much for those comments guys. I really want to develop the website with the best usability in mind (being an usability engineer) but hearing so many bad talk about duplicate content made me question.

Like you said Stinga, it's a hell of a job! especially having some products that come in two sizes and 5 colors meaning 10 products to insert into VM. The usability of having the product picture change to reflect the product being bought makes a much better user experience in my view however.

If anyone has more thoughts about this please post them.

Blans

[PRO]

I have similar content on my site for different sizes of the same model.

I re-write as much as I can.