I optimized a page but can't let go of the old one

Can i keep both?

[Rani]

Hi,
Thanks to WebmasterWorld i improved my SEO knowledge.
So i optimized one of my pages to a higher level.I'm itching to upload it to my site and switch it with the old version.
The problem is that i feel that the old version still has some benefits which are missing in the new version.

Is there a way that i can keep both to service me faithfully and at the same time avoid trouble from the search engines?

I would say the 2 pages are about 30% similar.

Thanks.

[webdoctor]

...30% similar.

Do you mean that 30% of the content is identical or just "similar"?

[Rani]

Identical.One for one.Spitting image.

[Kufu]

Try including more of the content from the old page just to be safe.

[caveman]

Maybe it's just me, but I'm having trouble understanding how the pages are identical in content, but only 30% similar.

What is missing in the new page that you like from the old page, generally speaking?

[ken_b]

I read that as 30% of the page is identical. I wouldn't think 30% would be too much. I could be wrong of course.

[Rani]

>>What is missing in the new page that you like from the old page, generally speaking?<<

You hit the nail on the head with that question,caveman.

The old page has a 300 word article copied from Wikipedia.In the new page i eliminated this article.

Why did i do that? Because 2 reasons :

1) I got scared Google will figure out that the article is not originally mine therefore penalize me.

2) From my logfiles i can see that this article attracts the wrong audience.These are curious people looking for information.Not shoppers really.(After all i want to sell some widgets,not run a public library).

Still,i would like to keep the article because i use it as a laboratory to study people's use of related keywords.

Please don't tell me to rewrite the article in my own words.I hate doing that.

[caveman]

Rani there are lots of successful pages/sites that use exactly idenitical content as found on other sites (sites that feature famous poems from famous writers, for examploe). Those pages do not get penalized.

My opinion, assuming you're copying the articles verbatim and giving credit/link back to W, and assuming that the rest of your page is original content relating to and/or commenting on the article from W, then I don't think you'll have a problem. You'll need to make sure the rest of the content is original, and I personally would want to know that if a search engine employee checked the site that it would pass inspection. My 2 cents anyway.