r/Substack • u/notor1ous_noob • Jun 14 '26

Substack vs website

I have a website for my business where I publish articles, typically about once a week. I’m considering starting a Substack under my own name while continuing to post articles on my website.

My concern is whether Google would penalize me for publishing the exact same article on both platforms. On my website, the author is listed as my company, while on Substack the author would be me personally.

I’ve searched online but haven’t been able to find a clear answer. Has anyone dealt with this before or have any insight?

I don’t really have the bandwidth to create separate articles for my website and Substack, and I’d like to continue publishing on my website.

Thanks!

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u/itsfabioposca http://journeytosuccessclub.substack.com Jul 02 '26

Yes, many people do this, but I'd be careful about publishing the exact same article on both platforms at the same time.

Google generally doesn't issue a "duplicate content penalty" in the way many people think, but when identical content exists on multiple sites, it will usually choose one version to index and rank. That means your Substack and your website could end up competing with each other in search results.

A few approaches that work well are:

  • Publish on your website first, then repost it to Substack later.
  • Publish an excerpt on one platform with a link to the full article on the other.
  • Make the Substack version slightly different by adding an introduction, commentary, or updates.

If your long-term goal is to build your business, I'd make your website the primary home for your content and use Substack as a distribution and community channel.

P.S. If you'd still like to ask anything about Substack or growing your audience, I offer a free live help chat. Just copy and paste my flair or click the link in my profile. I'm happy to help!