Many Twitter users update to Twitter and other social networking websites with the same information duplicated. For instance, Twitter and FaceBook can be linked so when a post is published on one it will be duplicated on the other.

Even though there have been debates about duplicate content and search engine ranking, many marketers choose not to duplicate content for fear of the invisible red flag from Google. But, what about duplicate social networking posts?

Personal Versus Professional

Now, the casual social networking user will probably have nothing to worry about. The update about Cindy finally getting her braces off will not include links to a website or business, in most cases. However, the Internet marketer and website business often include links in their posts to website main pages, inner pages and articles used to market a business. If these posts are duplicated, exactly, will the search engine see them as SPAM?

The trouble with social networking is connectivity. This social network is connected to that social site and that social site is connected to another social network and on and on…

There was once a time when being a member of a social network meant being social, but those times have been replaced with mass updates, link posting and hourly pushes to read this and click here.

There are literally hundreds of social networks out there and if all of them eventually have their posts indexed by major search engines, how will the bots differentiate between the SPAMMERS and the businesses just trying to increase popularity the right way? It could all weigh on duplication.

Retro Indexing or Future Indexing

Another huge question about the indexing of social networking posts is when the indexing will start. If the indexing is retro fitted and all past updates are indexed, it could mean a HUGE shift in the top 10 rank listing for popular keywords.

Just imagine 10,000 or 20,000 posts being indexed from various social networks all containing back links to inner pages of a website. That could be enough to blow up servers with an over abundance of traffic hitting the website.

The Place for Social Networks in the Search Engine Results

Despite the troubles that could result from search engines indexing social network posts, there is a very real need for this integration to occur. When a fierce battle for the top 10 page is being constantly fought, website owners and Internet marketers use every tactic they can to increase traffic.

For the website that has chosen to integrate social networking, that upper hand could fall in their corner. Social networking with links is link building – the search engines just have to catch up.

So, whether or not the duplicate content will count against social networking businesses or not will probably be an issue hidden in the new algorithm for the most popular engines. Until the Tweets, bulletins and updates are indexed, we will just have to continue being social.

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