When you’re trying to build a great company with a solid reputation, you need some amazing content. Whether it’s the text or image use, you need to separate yourself from millions of sites online. It’s exceptionally difficult to trust a company that can’t manage a couple of its own screenshots.
That’s the premise with WP Global Support.
I recently came across one of the company’s blog posts in which they blatantly copied a vast portion of an article we have at GreenGeeks.com about changing the layout of the homepage in WordPress.
Currently, we’re in the process of updating the article, so it’s not really going to matter much in the grand scheme of things. But still, WP Global Support couldn’t be bothered to create its own content?
Especially for a company that prides itself on being able to help WordPress users?
Keep in mind, we are actually rewriting “How to Change the Layout of Your Homepage in WordPress” at GreenGeeks. So, you won’t be able to see the similarities after tomorrow.
And I’m sure WP Global Support might change their content up once they get wind that we’re on to them as pliagrisers.
More than Half of the Text
According to Copyscape’s compare tool, WP Global Support copied 60% of our text at GreenGeeks and added 500+ words of their own.
Could the text be just a coincidence? It’s very unlikely. Anything as high as 60% copied throws up severe red flags.
Especially when you consider copying the bullet list almost verbatim.
Even if the company’s writer was using the “Skyscraper” technique, 60% copied is just too high.
The Skyscraper technique is when you find a high-performing piece of content covering a topic you want to write about and then doing what you can to make it better.
Not copied.
Taking My Images as Well
Secondly, you should never use someone else’s screenshots without their permission. Especially if you’re a company trying to pass itself off as WordPress professionals.
I mean, come on, guys. A WordPress group that can’t take its own screenshots of WordPress?
I can understand if it was something more intricate, such as coding elements or specific settings that are difficult to find.
But this is just sheer laziness.
They even copied our headers word-for-word. Seriously?
Moral of the Story
I guess the point of all this is I hate it when lazy “creators” try to pass something off as their own. It’s not good business acumen to take the work of someone else, try to polish it with a few extra words, and call it good.
Yes, I do use the Skyscraper technique myself. But, at least my content is less than 3% copied. This means I take the time to write the piece in my own words. Not only that, but I would NEVER use someone else’s screenshots.
You can ask anyone who has worked under me as a writer. I am extremely anal when it comes to copying content. My threshold is 5% for writers. I want your words, not those of someone else.
What Does this Demonstrate for a Business?
When you blatantly copy the work of others, it shows laziness and a lack of professionalism. This tells me that your business will have similar properties.
Being lazy and unprofessional.
Why would I hire a support team for WordPress support when they can’t even manage WordPress content correctly?
If you want to succeed today, potential customers need trust in the company. And plagiarising content is not the way to go about earning that trust.
I am tempted to go through and see if WP Global Support copied anything else of ours. I know we do some great content, but come on, people. It’s not that hard to write a tutorial.
Especially one as easy as this.
It’s All in the Wash
I saved both websites as PDF files, in case anyone wants to view the plagiarism themselves. As I said above, though, it really doesn’t matter after today. Our post is being rewritten as I write this blog post.
But still…let this be a lesson. Don’t be a jackass when it comes to someone else’s content. Write your own, and for hell’s sake, take your own screenshots.
According to inspecting their page, this was done back in 2018. This means it’s been a copy of our post for around three years! Since our piece was up since 2016, I guess WP Global Support thought they could get away with it?
It’s sad, really.
How much would you trust a company if you found out they were blatantly copying content?