Duplicate Content Question

[tetongolf]

I've searched but haven't found any conversation about this exact issue.

I'am currently setting up a store that will have multiple products and multiple categories. Products will be assigned to several categories.

Due to dynamic breadcumbs and navigation bars to work properly, a product may have several urls:

www.example.com/category1/product1.html
www.example.com/category2/product1.html

This is the same product, but 2 different urls. Will this be considered duplicate content. The page is the same, but the breadcrumb navigation and navigation tree will be slightly different.

Is this a problem?

The only work around I can think of to not be penalized would be to create a category "all", and assign all products to this category. Then in the robots.txt disallow all other categories.

Does this make sense?

Thanks,

Michael

[edited by: tedster at 6:52 pm (utc) on Oct. 25, 2007]
[edit reason] switch to example.com - it can never be owned [/edit]

[tedster]

It definitely is a duplicate url situation and it will split PR and backlink influence into two differemt spots. Only in the extreme would this cause a true "penalty" but it certainly will hurt rankings. The url is not the place to record navigational information.

[tetongolf]

This website is based on the Miva Merchant shopping cart and unfortunately there is no way around this.

Do you think with the proper disallows in the robot.txt file that this will take care of the issue.

Michael

[bwnbwn]

yes if it is possible by all means block one of them from getting indexed. I made the same mistake you are trying to avoid and have been for the last month trying to fix this problem.

[tedster]

Miva has been very slow to respond to search engine issues - but they have support forums. I'd check there for help - you can't be the only one concerned. I know that there have been third party developments that address many of Miva's native troubles, and the forums may help with that, too.