Content is a powerful tool for reaching your target audience. Blog posts help site owners exemplify thought leadership. This helps attract potential customers and drive engagement. 

Publishing original content is good. But, creating high-quality original content takes time and effort. Even then, getting organic traffic isn’t guaranteed.

That’s where content syndication comes in. 

A content syndication strategy lets you bypass the complexities of SEO ranking. This helps you reach more people through cross-platform sharing, minus the extra work.

But what exactly is it, and how can you practice it on your website? 

Let’s dive in.

Content syndication, defined!

Content syndication involves republishing your original content on third-party websites. It is a form of content distribution strategy. As a result, your content reaches a larger audience.

The types of syndicated content can vary across various media. It may even include written and visual content.

Content syndication efforts are a win-win for both the author and host websites.

Third-party platforms get to share original content with their readers. Moreover, the author’s piece of content receives more exposure from potential customers. This may earn valuable backlinks, especially if targeting prominent publications.

Is content syndication a type of plagiarism?

At first glance, syndicated content appears like duplicate content—a form of plagiarism. But that is not the case. 

The key difference lies in permission and attribution. 

Plagiarism involves taking someone else’s work without permission and claiming it as yours.

Meanwhile, content syndication does not involve taking another person’s work. It only means granting permission for a publication permission to distribute your content. In return, third-party sites link back to the source.

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Is content syndication the same as guest posting?

Syndicated content and guest posts are two distinct things.

Guest blogging involves pitching fresh content on websites that are not published elsewhere. This means every guest post is unique between websites.

Content syndication distributes already-published relevant content to websites for republication. Syndicated content is the same across websites.

How does Google feel about content syndication?

Before we explore Google’s views on content syndication, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

Content syndication predates Google. We can trace its origins back to the age of print media and radio. In 1924, the US Federal government used syndication for radio broadcasting to reach more people.

Today, content syndication is widespread in visual media. For instance, when several TV networks and streaming services air the same show.

This practice enables the content to reach a wider audience. Plus, it generates more revenue for the content creators and syndication networks. 

Google recognizes syndicated content as part of a website’s content marketing efforts. If you follow Google’s guidelines, the search engine won’t have any problems.

However, syndicated content can often lead to duplicate content issues. This means Google declared the partner page canonical instead of the original post. By extension, the syndicated content receives all the rewards that come with canonicalization:

• SERP visibility
• High rank on search results
• Organic traffic

Is it possible to avoid duplicate content issues on SERPs when syndicating content? Yes, if you know what to do.

Lily Ray once asked what happens to the original post if Google chooses a partner as canonical:

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On a now-deleted X post, Google’s John Mueller replied, “Hi Lily! It’s complicated, and not all the things you’re asking about are things we necessarily even use. In general, if we recognize a page as canonical, that’s going to be the page most likely rewarded by our ranking systems.“

In an earlier X post, Danny Sullivan, a.k.a. Google SearchLiaison, addressed how to syndicate content. Here’s what he said:

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Based on Sullivan and Mueller’s responses, there are two ways to keep Google off your back:

Add a rel=” canonical” on the original post’s <head> element to inform Google that it is canon

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Request partner websites to use the noindex tag on the syndicated content

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Doing so prevents canonicalization issues. It also protects the original page from falling off search engine rankings.

Benefits of content syndication

Content syndication has risks. But this strategy can be valuable for site owners if they do it right.

Read on to see the advantages of syndicating content:

Increased reach and visibility

Syndicating content expands an author’s reach. This strategy helps them reach a target market outside their sphere of influence.

For instance, suppose a small tech blogger republishes an article on a big tech news website. He is able to reach more tech readers who might not have discovered the original document yet.

This expanded visibility often leads to increased brand awareness. Moreover, syndicated content is a good source of referral traffic. If you have high-quality content, it can generate qualified leads.

Enhanced brand authority and credibility

Depending on your partners, content syndication may also amplify your perceived authority. This happens when syndicating content on sites with same or better domain authority.  

Sharing your content on reputable platforms validates your expertise. It also positions you as a thought leader in your niche. This introduces you to the partner’s followers, expanding your pool of potential buyers.

Less time-consuming and demanding

Content syndication is a resource-efficient solution to amplify your reach. Republishing an entire article on other platforms saves significant time, money, and effort. This is especially true when you compare the time spent versus producing new content.

By syndicating content, you can focus on other essential marketing facets. This includes lead generation and customer engagement. You can also maximize the ROI of content syndication by reducing overhead costs.

Downsides of content syndication

While beneficial, content syndication is not without flaws. Your marketing team can do their due all they want. Sometimes, syndicating content can have uncontrollable and unavoidable drawbacks. 

Here are the disadvantages of content syndication:

Lack of control

You give up control once you release your content assets to a syndication service.

For example, they can revise the content to match their tone or guidelines. In some cases, they may alter or misrepresent the content. These changes may affect your reputation or change how readers absorb the information.

Another limitation is the timing of publication. Partners may not agree with your timeline, impacting your content marketing strategy.  

May have adverse impacts on search rankings

Content syndication can also be a double-edged sword.

Google instructs authors to put in place rel= “canonical” on the original page. Moreover, they must inform partners to use a noindex tag on syndicated pages. But there are instances when site owners do only one or none at all.

This may confuse search engines about which is canonical among the duplicate clusters. According to John Mueller, Google will reward the page it deems canonical. If Google selects a partner as canon, this can damage your site’s SEO performance. 

Fewer lead generation opportunities

While content syndication boosts brand awareness, it doesn’t always translate to more leads. Lead generation depends on many factors.

Your content quality is the strongest factor in persuading readers to become leads. Valuable content without a compelling CTA can only do so much. 

Suppose the syndicated content drives referral traffic to your site. Your website design and whether leads convert to customers.

Finally, visitors may engage with syndication partners instead of your site. When this happens, they will reap the benefits of content syndication.

How to perform effective content syndication the right way?

If you do it right, content syndication can be a game-changer for your brand.

By riding another platform’s popularity, authors gain access to their target audience. If things work out, sales teams can take the helm and convert those leads into buying customers.

Before that, knowing how to do content syndication is a must. And no, it is more than using rel= “canonical” and adding noindex tags.

Here are the essential steps to increase the success rate of syndicating content:

1. Establish authoritativeness in a particular field

Websites can smell a lack of authority. Moreover, readers are adept at discerning between genuine expertise and generic fluff.

Before syndication platforms accept, they’ll likely conduct some background investigation. Being a credible industry leader increases the chances of your content getting syndicated.

Here are actionable ways to become a perceived authority:

• Publish high-quality content. Produce well-researched, informative, and engaging content. This includes long-form content and other formats, like videos, infographics, or podcasts.
• Create content clusters. A topic cluster strategy organizes your content into thematic information hubs. They consist of a broad pillar page and many related subtopic pages. 
• Build backlinks. Follow good link-building practices and earn backlinks from reputable websites. You can do this by guest posting, link exchanges, or broken link building. This will boost your site’s domain authority.
• Be active on social media. Engage with your target market by sharing your content and responding to comments. Reddit and Quora are good platforms for demonstrating expertise. 

2. Identify viable content syndication partners

The purpose of content syndication is to capture a wider audience. Thus, these partners must align with your target market and brand values. If there is any mismatch, potential partners might reject your content. Worse, your piece fails to make an impression on readers even if accommodated.

Consider the following factors when selecting partners:

• Relevance. Ensure the partner’s target audience aligns with your demographic.
• Authority. Choose reputable platforms with a strong online presence in your niche.
• Reach. Select partners with a large and loyal following to maximize visibility.

Content syndication is free of charge so long as you have the desired credentials. Some of the best platforms to syndicate content are Medium and Forbes.

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3. Hire the right content syndication services

While syndicating content is free, you can pay for services to do the heavy lifting.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it?

Content syndication services are advertising agencies specializing in displaying sponsored content. You might see them in the form of “Recommended For You” when browsing through the internet.

Unfortunately, these agencies use a PPC (pay-per-click) or PPL (pay-per-lead) model. As the name suggests, you get charged for every click. Unfortunately, this applies even if the clicks come from cold or low-quality leads.

One famous content syndication service is Outbrain. You will often find them on popular news sites like the Huffington Post:

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Another popular content syndication service is Taboola:

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While paying agencies for display ads might work, it more likely won’t. The featured content might be irrelevant to a user, resulting in zero clicks. 

It’s much more rewarding to play the long game, that is, doing the grunt work and reaching out to websites. This lets you develop your website’s authority and target the ideal customer profile.

4. Create high-quality, shareable content

Content creation sits at the center of any successful syndication program. Treat your content as your unique sales proposition. The quality of your content decides whether platforms republish it or not.

Ensure your content serves your long-term objectives and resonates with your target audience.

So, the first step is finding a deep-seated problem that your market is facing and finding a way to resolve it. This increases your content’s clickability, readability, and shareability.

Second, avoid generic topics that countless websites have already covered many times. It will seem like yours is a rehash of the same subject and get rejected.

To top it off, use impressive visual content to captivate and keep readers engaged.

Here are some examples of long-form content that are recommendable for content syndication:

Case studies

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These articles showcase how your product or service has helped clients. Plus, this information is personal, meaning no other brands can replicate it.

Industry analysis

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These pieces offer an in-depth analysis of your industry’s trends, challenges, and opportunities. Plus, time-sensitive analysis studies create a better sense of urgency. This increases their likelihood of syndication acceptance.

How-to or ultimate guides

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These comprehensive guides cover broad topics in detail. Often, these articles break the content into bite-sized, digestible steps.

5. Track and measure the performance of syndicated content

A content syndication does not end when the partner has republished your content. You must also track the campaign’s performance using data analytics.

Begin by setting reasonable and measurable key performance indicators for your campaign. Then, set benchmarks to assess the success of your syndication efforts. Do this by analyzing previous syndication performance or compare with industry standards.

Here are a few KPIs you might want to consider for content syndication:

• Website traffic. How many people visit your site via syndicated content channels?
• Social media engagement. How many shares, likes, comments, and clicks did your content get?
• Backlinks. How many backlinks did you receive from the syndication partners? According to Ahrefs, when you earn high-quality backlinks, you’re more likely to have better search engine rankings.
• Lead generation. How many leads did you generate via syndicated content?
• Conversion rate. Percentage of referral traffic who converted into customers.
• Cost-per-lead or incurred cost to gain one lead. Compute it by dividing the total campaign cost by the number of leads generated.
• Return on investment. Measures the profitability of the syndication campaign. Compute it by adding the revenue generated from leads minus the total campaign cost.

Ready to send your content syndication requests?

Content syndication is a no-sweat strategy for expanding your reach. With the right partners, you may widen your potential customer pool.

By following the steps in this guide, you can leverage content syndication. In the end, you will position your brand as a niche authority and drive traffic that might convert to leads.

Remember, the key to successful syndication goes beyond having high-quality content. Choosing the right partner and monitoring your campaign is also crucial.

So, are you ready to have your content republished? Good luck!Do you need any help repurposing your existing content for new SERP opportunities? Book a discovery call with us now!