At what point does creating micro-sites revolving around service/keyword domains fall into shadow domain territory?

[Alok Chowdhury]

Hi guys,

In discussions with a client, who have multiple services to offer, we are considering creating keyword domains micro-sites with dynamic and static content revolving around each specific service. The purpose of this is for geo-targeting and keyword visibility within a particular category. We are not considering forwarding users to main website, or cloaking domains but providing a legitimate mini-resource website. I don't think this falls under shadow domain territory, but would like your opinion - especially those who are experienced in SEO. thanks! Alok

[seamus walsh]

Alok, it works well, as long as you have decent content and use 2010 design practices you can expect it to show up on Google organic from 3 days to 3 months.  I am not sure why this is so slow to catch on.  As long as you have decent content and no trickery it is a value add to your client’s corporate website.  

Preaching this very topic for the past 24 months, I have become a starving content guy.  I am happy to see this discussion finally on the content strategy discussion group!

You can give me a call anytime to discuss how we do it and how show up in Google organic search.

Seamus Walsh

On 11/16/09 4:34 PM, "Alok Chowdhury" <alok.ch...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi guys,

In discussions with a client, who have multiple services to offer, we are considering creating keyword domains micro-sites with dynamic and static content revolving around each specific service. The purpose of this is for geo-targeting and keyword visibility within a particular category. We are not considering forwarding users to main website, or cloaking domains but providing a legitimate mini-resource website. I don't think this falls under shadow domain territory, but would like your opinion - especially those who are experienced in SEO. thanks! Alok

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Seamus Walsh
Managing Director-Sales & Marketing
VAZT Global, Inc.
www.vazt.com

802-879-6787

Optimizing People, Process and Technology®

[Alok Chowdhury]

Thanks Seamus,

I wasn't sure if Google had a blanket rule, but also looking at Dell's micro-site http://thefutureofstorage.com/ I can see that it can still work. 

thanks!

Alok 

[seamus walsh]

One last thing, be logical not cute in the domain name, think like the searcher, what will they be typing into Google search, grab that domain name and use those keywords as part of your overall organic content strategy.  

It’s a whole new ballgame with blogs and tweets showing up on the first page of Google organic!

On 11/16/09 5:39 PM, "Alok Chowdhury" <alok.ch...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks Seamus,

I wasn't sure if Google had a blanket rule, but also looking at Dell's micro-site http://thefutureofstorage.com/ I can see that it can still work. 

thanks!

Alok 

On Mon, Nov 16, 2009 at 5:24 PM, seamus walsh <seamus...@vazt.com> wrote:

Alok, it works well, as long as you have decent content and use 2010 design practices you can expect it to show up on Google organic from 3 days to 3 months.  I am not sure why this is so slow to catch on.  As long as you have decent content and no trickery it is a value add to your client’s corporate website.  

Preaching this very topic for the past 24 months, I have become a starving content guy.  I am happy to see this discussion finally on the content strategy discussion group!

You can give me a call anytime to discuss how we do it and how show up in Google organic search.

Seamus Walsh







On 11/16/09 4:34 PM, "Alok Chowdhury" <alok.ch...@gmail.com <http://alok.ch...@gmail.com> > wrote:

Hi guys,

In discussions with a client, who have multiple services to offer, we are considering creating keyword domains micro-sites with dynamic and static content revolving around each specific service. The purpose of this is for geo-targeting and keyword visibility within a particular category. We are not considering forwarding users to main website, or cloaking domains but providing a legitimate mini-resource website. I don't think this falls under shadow domain territory, but would like your opinion - especially those who are experienced in SEO. thanks! Alok

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Seamus Walsh
Managing Director-Sales & Marketing
VAZT Global, Inc.

www.vazt.com <http://www.vazt.com>

802-879-6787

Optimizing People, Process and Technology®

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[clareob]

Hello Alok

I was interested to read about your plans for a targeted keyword-based
micro-site strategy to address your client's multiple services offer
range.

I honestly can't advise on Google's position around a route domain URL
strategy for SEO purposes. However, what I will counsel is that there
is a great deal more to think about. For what it's worth we've just
successfully steered one of our clients away from such a strategy. The
problem we identified was that you end up with is highly distributed
traffic, almost no cross or up-sell opportunities and people
frustrated because they can't easily get from one part of the
organisation to another. With our client's site structure - there was
plenty of traffic going from the main site to the micro sites but
hardly any heading back to the main site and virtually none at all
moving from micro site to micro site. This is not to the advantage of
the corporation.

I image if your client is offereing multiple services, then there must
be commercial advantage in combining the services within the same
corporate brand which customers also recognise. Why not keep the
advantage alive online by letting each service area benefit from the
others? Do this within the same URL structure which can easily be
incorporate the appropriate keywords for different areas of the site.

I realise this is an opinion, but it is one we thought about and
talked about a great deal and set a number of arguments using live
analytics and findability analysis to support our position with the
client. I'm happy to talk to you more about it if you drop me a line.

All best, Clare

[seamus walsh]

Clare, your right to a certain extent, Be warned, this is 100% a sales
pitch based on our solution, you now have the option to X out. Good! You
are still here. It is only distributed traffic if you are on disparate
platforms. Our solution allows for one master admin that is able to publish
out to multiple URL's. Google analytics allows us to roll up statistics.

Our limitation is that it is hosted on the same server, so it gets dinged by
Google search because they think you are stacking the deck but long term
the content quality will prevail.

I am sorry a vendor infiltrated this esteemed group. But I listened, really
really listened to you all before my vendor side reared my head. Alok, I
have a good solution for you that can integrate your solutions group.
Clare, I would love to show it to you if you are interested.



Seamus

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[Alok Chowdhury]

Hi guys,

Sorry for the late replies...My pc got hit by a new virus - "system defender" be aware of it! 

I shall respond to both your comments here Clare and Seamus. 

Re: Seamus - I appreciate your comments and I do agree with you that targeted microsites can work. Doing further research in the SEO side of things - it's best to put the microsites on other hosts/servers. Of course, you can also create an entire new micro-site attached to your brand as a subdomain if it makes sense. Now, having said that, we have to outline the goals of this microsite -  requiring a different delivery platform and content taxonomy, including benchmarks. 

 As our potential client is a lawyer, the proposed microsite will focus on specific services such as divorce law, criminal law etc. etc. Each site would possibly have it's own domain related to the a commonly searched term for that service and also reflecting the community/city/region he serves. The purpose is to geo-target each site with specific content. It would link up with his main site, through a contact us form and an about us. One dynamic page (i.e. blog), video - for webinars, and two static for about us and contact us back to his main site. 

Re: Clare - I also agree with you on how keyword domain microsites are not always the best answer if it doesn't fit the brand. It all depends on the business and the type of information that you want to present, or your marketing goals. In many situations, it may not work, however for the company or consultant who does not have a strong brand, this may be the best strategy. I'd like to point you to Dell's microsite The future of storage http://thefutureofstorage.com/ as one of the best examples of a content marketing strategy that ties very well with the brand. 

Let me know your comments! 

If any of you want to add me to your linkedin profile - you can use my email - alok.ch...@gmail.com 

Alok 

[seamus walsh]

Both of you need a MAC!  
   
You can run our code on separate servers if you want.  It is cheaper for us to run it on the same server.

Clare when you and I spoke we talked about a unification.   We fixed that problem you speak of, we would not allow technology getting in the way of the branding.

Alok, A Lawyers site?  That is going to be a tough one, they are shelling out up to $99 per PPC.  I like your local language idea!

Seamus

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Seamus Walsh
Managing Director-Sales & Marketing
VAZT Global, Inc.

www.vazt.com <http://www.vazt.com>

802-879-6787

Optimizing People, Process and Technology®


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