SCCS has been creating unique content for senior care providers ranging from memory care and assisted living to CCRCs, home care agencies, and senior-friendly tech products for almost 15 years now. During that time, a number of our clients have had their content scraped and stolen.
Historically, we’ve found senior living content swiping tracks back to content mills, black hat SEO guys, and a variety of small home care companies. Very rarely have we found any senior living providers to be the problem. Until recently.
Senior Living Content Swiping on the Rise?
Since the end of last year, we’ve found copy we’ve written for various clients posted on random senior living sites. Everyone from lead aggregators to providers we know are credible seem to be doing it: grabbing and using content they didn’t write.
While some are just plain sleazeballs trying to pump up content for themselves or a client on the cheap, others are providers we believe wouldn’t deliberately engage in this practice were they aware it’s happening.
So, what the heck is going on? Why is senior care content being stolen plagiarized swiped so much more often?
All roads seem to lead back to AI, artificial intelligence. The client content we’ve found that’s been lifted is mostly that created from 2019 – 2022.
As you can imagine, some of the swiped content it is outdated and inaccurate.
Sure, evergreen copy is being pilfered, too. But that’s not as obvious.
What is glaringly apparent is when it’s content that is data-driven… Medicare rates. Veterans benefit amounts. Monthly fees.
We also seeing blocks of copy being lifted and mashed together to create articles and blog posts. Pieces of content that just don’t go together.
It’s an A + B not equaling C situation. Our industry is complex and nuanced. And AI isn’t (yet?) equipped for that with regard to senior care.
You can’t smash memory care topics, like wandering or agitation, into the middle of a blog article on the benefits of independent living and have it go well. Or make any sense at all.
It can be a real problem in an industry where families are already confused.
Who is Behind the Pilfering of Senior Living Content?
Who is behind it all? Who is using AI to borrow your content on a permanent basis? Just based on our experience, it breaks down in to two groups:
- Agencies using AI: AI has made it easy for some of the less-than-scrupulous agencies to sell the service of writing “one-of-a-kind” blog posts, articles, and guides. When those little AI robots march out to pull data, it’s being taken from aging services companies with great quality content. Like those of our clients. These agencies aren’t even letting their client know they are using AI. The provider finds out when they are alerted to a problem.
- Push for more content: The competition for ranking in the SERPs is ferocious. But marketing budgets aren’t always adequate enough to meet the content demands. Not fully understanding how AI works, smaller senior living companies are throwing topics in to AI and loading the results to a blog post. Often, double-ugh here, without carefully proofing it.
What should you do if you find your content somewhere else? Fortunately, we’ve had great success in getting things handled.
Protecting Your Senior Living Content
Start by calling any contacts you might have at the offending company. Chances are good that will work. If they can’t help, they’ll no doubt connect you with some one who can.
If you don’t know anyone at the company, jump on their website and see if you can find who handles their digital at the high level. Call them. If necessary, leave a detailed voice mail. Our industry has a well-earned bad reputation for returning calls, so sharing details is important.
Remember, stealing your content is plagiarism. And nobody wants to wage that legal battle when it’s so easy to prove your content is the original.
We’ve never had this approach not work…
Contact SCCS
Have a question about senior living content? Shoot us a note. We’ll be happy to help!
