Buyer Beware: Blogging Shortcuts Have Their Shortcomings

Let’s face it: creating a relevant and interesting blog article takes a lot of time. For many people, writing itself is a challenge. When you throw the web into the mix, grammar and style become the least of your worries. If you want search engines to fall in love with your content, you also have to pay attention to keywords and linking. To alleviate these issues, some enterprising retailers have started to sell “auto content generators” online. These products claim to do the hard work for you by gleaning the internet for content and links that drive traffic to your site. To the time-pressed writer, marketer or business owner, this seems like a brilliant idea! But before you whip out your credit card, please consider a couple of things.

First, your brand identity is at risk if you allow someone else, or something else, to generate content for your blog. It’s only a matter of time before repeat site visitors notice the inconsistencies. Google might notice as well, and identical content won’t necessarily help your search engine rankings. Also, consider what could happen if a fellow blogger notices their content – content they worked hard to create – on your site without any mention of the source. While legal action might be an option for some, members of a new LinkedIn Group called The Blog Zone are “outing” plagiarizers on their discussion boards. They are also working hard to get Google to act against these products and those who use them. If these generators are banned, don’t expect Google to fire a warning shot. Your search engine rankings will mean nothing if they suddenly ban your site.

As with any new product or service that promises high rewards for very little work, bear in mind the old adage: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. While you might struggle with your blogging, remember that even in this Web 2.0 world your best resources are people. Recruit fellow employees or a trusted web professional to help create article ideas, informative content and links.

And if anyone promises you quick and easy search engine results, please refer to the beginning of this paragraph.

If you think your blog content might have been lifted by a blogger or generator, please contact your blog administrator or Google to have it removed. Also, please join The Blog Zone group if you are on LinkedIn.