I had been mulling over how to make my site more visible and noticed that I was getting some good organic traffic from Google, so I decided to give this a shot. After all, if I could get people searching for me in the SERPs then surely they would find my content.

It took me less than an hour to write the first draft of my new article, which went live just after midnight. The next morning I checked the rankings and saw that my post was number two on page three! That's when things got interesting...

The rest of the week passed slowly as I continued adding links and tweaking my copy. Then suddenly, the ranking dropped dramatically. It wasn't until Monday afternoon that I found out why: Someone had submitted a very similar article with exactly the same keywords (and even copied the exact URL) at around the same time mine went live.

My article has since disappeared off the top ten entirely, but I still see occasional references to it in web searches. If you've ever wondered what happens when someone copies your work without attribution or permission, here's a little example of what can happen.

So now I know firsthand that plagiarism isn't just something that happens online. In fact, it happens everywhere—in real life too. But there are ways to combat it. Here are five simple tips to help prevent plagiarism from happening again.

1. Don't be lazy about checking sources.

If you're going to use information from other websites, make sure you actually check them before using them. There's nothing worse than citing an unreliable source because you didn't take the effort to do basic research.

2. Be careful not to steal others' ideas.

When writing, don't simply lift whole paragraphs verbatim. Instead, paraphrase and rewrite parts of your text into your own words. This will make it easier to avoid copyright infringement issues down the line.

3. Use unique phrases instead of reusing common ones.

This tip might seem obvious, but most writers forget to change their wording every once in a while. Using the same phrase twice in your piece can lead readers to believe that both versions came directly from the original author. To avoid this, try switching up your language by replacing generic terms like 'the' or 'a' with specific names. For example, rather than saying 'the company,' say 'Jared's Company.'

4. Always ask for permission.

Before stealing another writer's work, always ask him or her if it's okay to use his or her material. You never want to assume that you have the right to reuse someone else's work. And it goes without saying that you should also credit any other authors whose content you borrow from.

5. Keep everything consistent.

Don't mix different styles of writing within one document. Make sure all sections reflect the same voice and tone throughout. Doing so will reduce confusion and inconsistency among your audience.

As you can see, plagiarism is more than just a problem online. It's a serious issue that affects everyone—including those who aren't tech-savvy enough to worry about search engine optimization. So if you ever find yourself thinking, 'I wonder how many people are copying me?' remember these tips and stop worrying. It's probably just someone doing the same thing you did earlier...

source: http://www.tetula.com/2021/09/5-tips-that-will-help-you-avoid.html