Content Item in multiple folders and SEO: What to do (and not to do).

QuickelSoft CMS allows you to display a content item in multiple folders.

For instance:

1. You want to display the last 10 content items in one folder and its subfolders. Like a “News” site which displays on its home page the latest articles belonging to different subfolders: world news, economics, sport …

I use this method in the folder “Library” on QuickelSoft.com (http://www.quickelsoft.com/home.aspx/en/library).
2. You add a content item to multiple folders at the same time using its Folders property. For instance, you may want to put a Press Release in the folder “Press Releases” but also put it in the folder “News” so that it appears on your “News” page.

Used wisely, it will help your readers to navigate your website and find your content.

Tips on using multiple folders.

• Do not put your content item in more than 2-3 folders. Otherwise your site will become confusing. From the reader's point of view, if he or she finds the same content on multiple pages, is it the same or different versions in different locations?
• Use the property CurrentLanguageURL of the ContentItem class. Links to a content item used in multiple pages will always point to the same page.

Search Engine Penalty and Duplicate Content
When a request is issued to a Folder in your website, the standard process in QuickelSoft CMS is:

• The folder ASPX template is called.
• In this template, you retrieve a ContentItemCollection.
• In an ASP Repeater or an ASP grid, you display the Title and the Summary of each content item and a link to the full content.

If you assign a content item to multiple folders, you might have duplicate content detection by a search engine just because the Summary will appear at multiple spots on your website.

There is a myth that says that when you have duplicate content, you will be penalized by the search engines.

As explained on the Google Support site (http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=66359), there is no search engine penalty.

A search engine detects duplicate content if:

• The content of two pages on your website is the same. This is also called an “exact” duplicate detection.
• Two paragraphs on two different pages on your website are the same (a “near” duplicate detection).

In our case, it will detect “near duplicates” but as each link points to the same page (CurrentLanguageURL) , Google will not have any problems deciding which page to use in its search result.

For more information on duplicate content:
http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2006/12/deftly-dealing-with-duplicate-content.html