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You’re writing great content and others are noticing. Unfortunately, at one point or another, almost every single one of us will be the victim of someone stealing our content. It’s easy these days and, let’s face it, how are you going to catch those people?
At least that’s the way the thieves think.
The fact is, it’s easy to see if other people are stealing your content. I’ve given you the three best ways to check for plagiarism of your content. It may not catch all of the thieves, but it will catch the majority.
Blogging Thieves: How to Catch People Stealing Your Content
1. Use a plagiarism checker. One of the best ways to check if your content is being plagiarized is to use a plagiarizer checker. I religiously (read: almost daily) use the awesome Grammarly checker. Most people use it as the powerful grammar checker that t is (and it is awesome if you are trying to improve your writing skills); however, it is also a fantastic plagiarism checker. I randomly sample published posts from my sites, cut and paste them into the Grammarly checker and run the check. The site then performs a lightening fast (seriously) check on your article or post and provides feedback on grammar, writing and even if your content is being used on another site. Be sure to select the “Plagiarism Checker” option before you review.
Hint: I also use this for guest posts. We have a requirement that guest posts be exclusive to our site and I’m able to use this awesome option and see if it’s being published elsewhere.
2. Check incoming links. Because you read the book and are up to speed on the importance of following statistics to make money, you are probably already looking at incoming links (or, where your traffic is coming from). Be sure that you enable “pingbacks” and “trackbacks” for when someone links to your content. The thing about people stealing your stuff is that they generally don’t really care about it having your information on it. This means that often sites that are stealing your stuff (often by pilfering your feed) will still have your name and blog name on it. When they post it on their site, it will automatically ping back to your site. Follow those ping backs, especially if you are getting a lot from one site or if they are suspicious (weird names, topics or from other countries). I bust a lot of these thieves from following ping backs.
3. Set up Google alerts. Setting up Google alerts can help you see who is talking about your site and what they are saying. Be sure to include alerts with the name of your site, the nickname (if it has one), and your name. Any time your site or name comes up on Google, you will be alerted. It’s a good way to see if someone is using your material without your consent.
Don’t miss the next in the series when I discuss what to do if you find your content on another site.
Not quite to the point where people are stealing your stuff? I can help take you to the next level!
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