When it comes to having your content scraped for use on other sites across the internet there are definitely downsides. If scrapers get your content out before the search engines have time to give you credit for it you could possibly be viewed as being the one with duplicate content. This means that the scrapers would be credited as the writers of the original piece. This means that they get the link love, the search engine juice, and the traffic that should have been yours. On the other hand, there can be an upside to content scrapers as well. If you know how to take advantage of their bad habits your site can get the benefits that they were looking to snag from you.
If you are really particular about not wanting scrapers to be able to take advantage of your material, then it would be of benefit to add information into your RSS footer. This area is prime real estate just waiting for verbiage meant to confound the average scraper. Add in a disclaimer stating that the content of the post belongs solely to you or your site. You can also add in a link back to the original post so that you can get a great backlink while letting the scraper’s readers know where the material came from originally.
It will also keep Google and other search engines in the know about where the posts originated as well. You can also choose to add various links to other articles you have written or certain pages on your site. Why not take advantage of the potential backlink love? Speaking of links – another way to confound the efforts of scrapers involves adding plenty of internal links to each of your posts and/or pages. Most scrapers never bother to remove such links. This means that your links will help draw people away from the scraper’s site. You will also be much more likely to realize an increase in pageviews and a drop in your bounce rate!
While you are working at stealing link love back from unscrupulous content scrapers why not make a little extra money on the side? Add affiliate links to your content so that whenever your content ends up on a scraper’s site you can make some money whenever people click on them no matter whose site the content ends up parked on! Talk about a good way to turn the tables on a scraper.
Remember; you can always try to submit a request to Google and the other search engines in order to get credit for your work. This can take time though and may not always work out in your favor. By looking at the potential positive aspects of having your content scraped you can begin taking advantage of a system that originally worked against you.