John Mueller from Google recently discussed the use of the blockquote element, emphasizing that it doesn’t receive any special treatment.
Mueller responded to a question on Reddit where a user inquired whether placing content in a blockquote would prevent it from being labeled as duplicate.
The answer, in short, is no. Google will process the content in a blockquote just like any other content.
Google does not ignore content in a blockquote, assuming it originates from another source.
This approach is beneficial, especially if an author has put effort into gathering original quotes for an article, ensuring that genuine content in blockquotes is not disregarded.
However, a site will not benefit if a significant portion of content in a blockquote is from another source.
Mueller offered this insight:
“Google doesn’t treat ‘blockquote’ or any of the other elements in a special way when quoting other pages. The key point is to ensure that what you’re publishing offers unique value. Merely rehashing someone else’s content without adding value doesn’t leave a good impression on Google or users.”
As Mueller mentions, while Google doesn’t favor duplicate content, it’s not directly penalized.
This applies to both duplicating entire pages and copying parts of a page.
Duplicate content is devalued by Google, which is different from being penalized.
If content lacks enough unique value, Google will rank it accordingly, meaning it likely won’t rank very high.
Google tends to give more importance to the original source of quoted content and less to its republished versions.
To reduce the risk of content devaluation, it’s beneficial to add something in addition to the quotes you’re using.
Balancing quoted content with original insight is crucial. Offer something valuable to readers beyond the quotes.
For instance, you could quote something said elsewhere and provide a counter-argument, or use quotes to bolster a point you’re making in an article.
In conclusion, using blockquotes is perfectly acceptable as long as it’s done thoughtfully.
