From My Desk To Yours – 20th Edition
SPUN ARTICLES = CHOPPED-UP WORD SALAD
By: Penny, EzineArticles Managing Editor
We like to refer to spun articles (those created using spinning software) as “Word Salad.” These articles are a garbled mess as they lose their meaning after having their words chopped or changed in an attempt to display a new article.
You will find spun articles are generated manually or automatically by using software. Spinning content is an attempt to manipulate the search engines by replacing words in the article to avoid a duplicate content penalty.
These article types are ugly. They don’t make sense and they are NOT unique. So what do they look like?
Here is example of an excerpt taken from one of our recent Blog entries:
…There are a couple of very powerful ways you can share your expertise outside your EzineArticles account. One such example is placing your Expert Author RSS feed on your own website. This gives your site visitors a chance to see the extent of your expertise directly.
And here is an example of a meager attempt to spin the content and manually perform the same task as spinning software to come up with a new iteration:
…There be a duo of emphatically supreme actions you be capable of divide your know-how external of your EzineArticles record. A single corresponding prototype is standing your savvy writer RSS nourishment on your endemic website. This conveys your camp guests a fair shake to scrutinize the mass of your core competence as the crow flies.
You’re probably thinking, “What in the world did I just read?”
Avoid Giving a Bad User Experience
Spun content isn’t original content and it provides a poor user experience. Spun articles don’t offer new information and you will lose major credibility points if your readership is confused. If you are spinning from someone else’s content you may also be breaking copyright laws.
Stand Up Against Article Spinning
Commit to submitting only 100% original content and don’t let your hard work go to waste by using spinning software as a time saver. The harder you work to generate new content, the more your readers will trust you. (Our editors are trained to know when articles are spun and the act of spinning or promoting spun articles will result in an account suspension.)
NOTE: Submitting derivative/spun content is completely different from submitting repurposed content from your website or blog. You are allowed to submit content from your website to EzineArticles as long as you have exclusive rights to use that content. Spun articles are rehashed and present no new information and are not to be confused with repurposed content.
Absolutely, well said. I hate searching for something and then finding one of these articles, or, worse yet, I hate getting these automated blog comments on my blogs.
December 13, 2010 at 1:43 PM[Reply]
I couldn’t agree more with you. I’m getting all kinds of automated blog comments that don’t make sense. Real comments that provide me with feedback are welcome. My blog is set up so that I have to approve comments first before they get published, which really helps keeping spammers out.
December 14, 2010 at 12:21 AM[Reply]