I just read this article that explains in plain English how search engines work and what is the value of the unique content.
Search engines like Google want content that is relevant, unique and valuable to the person doing the web search. If you provide high quality content, the search engines will reward you with better search engine rankings and thus you will get more traffic.
I recommend you click the link below and take a look at John Delavera’s perspective on how to give Google what it is looking for: