SEO advice needed

[goxy63]

My knowledge about SEO is just average, I know that I should read more about these things but for this I will ask here. Guess that maybe some more newbies like me can use this.

Ok, I got me one thread which title keywords were ranked on No.1 place on google search, now it dropped to second place its still ok but my traffic just cause of this dropped 20%. Its a single thread with many posts in it, every post is one story and there is lots of content.

On other side, guy who took first place now is having forums with title same as my thread is (mentioned to keywords) but for each story there is another thread, not like mine now bundled all in one thread.

My question is, if I keep my present thread as it is, and now I create new forums with same title and do same as guy who reached first place...and each story (copying posts and making threads of them) will be in own thread...will this be duplicated content and will I be punished by google for this....any bad sides to this?

Any suggestions about this, how and what in short, thank you very much

[goxy63]

I was not quite sure what is better so I kept booth forums where each story is thread and one big thread where each story is one post

Now I dont have same content on two places, only name of that big thread and new forums are similar

For example

Old big thread is named "Sample Thread" and name of forums is "Sample thread - New" [only "new" is added]

Now after some time I got 90% less visitors on that big thread full with posts, but on other side there is insignificant improvement with new forums where visitors start to come...

Any advice, one big thread or one big forum with similar content... what would be better in order to have more visitors?

Ty