Ask Marketing Experts search engine marketing forum

[faart]

A question if you don't mind. We have an SEO client that owns about 300+ domains
and has all these linked (redirected) to his primary website URL. I suppose
that this is all good but now he wants to start an SEO program. I am fairly
sure that search engines penalize and even blacklist sites that use this
technique of multiple domain pointing.

He mentioned to me that a while back he automatically found a good listing
in Google for his website and then a week later it was gone. I am thinking
that perhaps he has been penalized for this.

I propose to suggest that he stops doing this and uses his domains for link
popularity and banners to his website - and then submits these mini websites
to the search engines. What do you you think? Will this technique work?

Any help or advice is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Mike

[maartenvr]

Hi Mike,

Your client should only promote one domain for one website. It is ok to have different domains pointing to that website but they should not be promoted (which includes link popularity).

If your client wants to build a bunch of mini sites, note that each one of these sites should have unique content. It is very easy for Google to find duplicate content and his site will be penalized. If they will just work as a doorway page that links to his main website, he will be penalized for that also.

[Guest]

[quote:b5826707ed="faart"]A client that owns about 300+ domains
and has all these linked (redirected) to his primary website URL. I suppose
that this is all good but now he wants to start an SEO program. I am fairly
sure that search engines penalize and even blacklist sites that use this
technique of multiple domain pointing.[/quote:b5826707ed]

It is absolutely true that you will get penalized for having multiple domain names pointing to a single site. This is something that must be avoided, or done with proper precaution.
[quote:b5826707ed="faart"]
He mentioned to me that a while back he automatically found a good listing
in Google for his website and then a week later it was gone. I am thinking
that perhaps he has been penalized for this.[/quote:b5826707ed]

It is very likely he has a penalty. If you install the google toolbar you can verify this for yourself.

Bottom line, DO NOT use multiple domain names to get rankings. This trick has been around for years and is easily spotted.

[faart]

OK - so to sum up stay away from the redirects. How could we do this - make 30 mini-sites - each one with unique content and different META tags. That is a lot of work....!!! Is it the only way??

Mike

[faart]

Sorry thats 300 mini-sites and not just 30....

Plenty!

[maartenvr]

No. The best way is to forget abut the 300 domains and minisites and start promoting that one website and put all effort and money into that. Your long term results will be much better.

[admin]

[quote:e5a487ccbb="maartenvr"]No. The best way is to forget abut the 300 domains and minisites and start promoting that one website and put all effort and money into that. [/quote:e5a487ccbb]

maartenvr is exactly right. It is not possible to promote minisites. The only way to get good rankings is by focusing on creating 1 (one) good website. You are free to search the other search engine forums to validate this information.

[admin]

According to Google's own guidelines, the only redirection they approve of is one issuing a "301: Permanently Moved" HTTP code. This is the one to
use when you have changed URLs, and signals to the user-agent (in
this case GoogleBot) to update its records with the new URL. To do this in apache, add this line to your .htaccess file:
[code:1:84fd6571be]RedirectPermanent / http://www.my-domain-name.com/[/code:1:84fd6571be]


this is taken from googles webmaster guidelines http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html

[faart]

Thanks for the advice guys. You are right - stay away from all these redirects....! I will suggest that all the effort goes into one main site.

[gravelsack]

Do you mean redirects or domain 'pointing'?

Domain pointing is not as much of a problem as re-directing.

If the other domains are just 'resolving' to the main site, then Google will have no problem with it - it will rank the 'promoted' site and ignore the others.

If they are linked, or using an html or javascript redirect, then there is a risk.

[7thDsites]

[quote:42d8420fb4]gravelsack: If they are linked, or using an html or javascript redirect, then there is a risk.[/quote:42d8420fb4]

If you're pointing names to your site, make sure your domain registrar isn't using javascript redirect or you can and will eventually get into some troubs...

[quote:42d8420fb4]gravelsack: Domain pointing is not as much of a problem as re-directing.[/quote:42d8420fb4]

I've seen that this can be a very good thing especially if you're pointing expired {relative} domain names to your sites.


__________
John Gracey
Your-link-popularity.com
7th Dimension Sites

[Gene Schallert]

There are no secrets about search engine marketingÖ all the information to build an excellent site is readily available and will eventually be found in this forum.

Whatís funny is that people want to believe that a trick will work when is been clearly disclosed by say a SE like Google who says not do it. There is always someone out there that wants to argueÖthey must be reading Web Gold archivesÖ 300 domainsÖ I hope they get caught soon.

By the way for those who have had their ears to ground Google is tightening up the spam algorithm. Trust me they do take all reports seriously and we all be seeing those bad guys start to disappear in the next few months. I recently had an opportunity to speak with several Google employees in the legal dept that assured me that they are truly concerned and have assigning the brilliant stars to remedy abuse and in the meantime are applying the proper penalty to abusers.

Ignorance is no excuse

[ezAs123]

First of All, hi guys!!! This is my first post here in these forums. I'll have to say there is a lot of good information in here and I hope it continues.

Anyway, here's a link to google's webmaster guidelines for anyone who isn't already aware of them.

[url]http://www.google.com/webmasters/guidelines.html[/url]

Within there google lists their "Quality guidelines". And below them they provide a link where you can submitt URL's that you feel have breeched their quality guidelines. This is a good thing for both you and your competitors in case either of which employs the "cloaking" or "doorway" tactics.

So be aware that its pretty simple for your competitor to submitt you if you decide to employ some of the tactics mentioned in the above posts.

Have a good day

[admin]

[quote:01ce76a99e="ezAs123"]
So be aware that its pretty simple for your competitor to submitt you if you decide to employ some of the tactics mentioned in the above posts.
[/quote:01ce76a99e]

Yes, it is possible to report offending websites to google, but be aware that is unlikely anything will happen.
http://www.google.com/contact/spamreport.html

One of the reasons for relative inaction is that Google is very wary to implement non automated solutions. Their search engine is based on automation, and manipulating it by hand is too cumbersome and extremely difficult to maintain.

Google always prefers to use algorithms and computer generated solutions to manage the internet.

[Mr_tickle555]

x Spears Spreading Outdoors!
http://x-Spears-Spreading-Outdoors.org/WindowsMediaPlayer.php?movie=53675