How to describe similar products and avoid dupe content issues?

[cmendla]

I'm about to make some changes but the dupe content issue raised it's ugly head.

we have four 'products'.. WidgetA, B C D.

We have some text that explains why our widgets are best.. "Our widgets will not disappoint you because..."


We'd like to have four pages with somewhat of the following layout


Same Blurb about why our widgets are the best

Information about the individual widgets.


The widgets are diverse enough that we'd like to have everything on one page but have four different pages.


My fear is that if half of each pages content is the same on four pages, the pages will take a hit.


My thoughts were

1. Put the 'selling points' in as a graphic.
2. Slightly re-word the 'selling points'.. but I don't think that will get past google.
3. Try some kind of 'include' but I think that would still show as duplicate content.

At any rate, I'd appreciate any thoughts before I make some kind of mistake here.

thanks

chris

[Planet13]

"The widgets are diverse enough that we'd like to have everything on one page but have four different pages."

Do you mean "AREN'Tdiverse enough"? If they ARE particularly diverse, then shouldn't they go on separate pages?

First thing I would do is ask whether it would be best for your customers to have the widgets all on the SAME page. I kind of think it might be.

[not2easy]

When the only difference is color or size - things that are selected when placing an order, use one description that includes mention of the different widgets, multiple images and let the customer see what is available. Personally I don't like seeing a product where I need to visit multiple pages to see what they mean by "blue". Duplicate content issues aside, think how you would be best served as a shopper.

[netmeg]

Do your four products do the same things (or essentially the same things) ? You could do it up as a sort of comparison chart.

[cmendla]

@Planet 13 - I do want them on separate pages due to the nature of the industry.. Looking at competition, the attention span of viewers might be a bit light. THerefore, in this case, one page might not work.

@not2easy.. The problem with this particular industry is that some people will only want widgetb.. others will want them all. Given the organic search and the competiveness, my *Guess* is that it is better to have individual pages with more focus. OTOH, the pay per click and directories tend to dominate the industry where even the strongest sites tend to attract more for long tail than the generic searches.

@netmeg - In this case that wouldn't work. The visitors are pretty familiar with the four concepts

Just to add, I've been doing some more reading and according to the data on the custom search help for google, it appears that google can sense boilerplate. The ratio of boilerplate to individualized text is about 50-50.. I'm leaning to putting the boilerplate on each page and then watching to see if they get in, and stay in, the index.