Sub Domain For "products" Or Another Url? Options

[detzx]

I develop web applications and I'm trying to decided it I should keep them all one one domain. My main domain is for my business but it has a projects section which lists the projects I'm working on. Three of the projects have their own domain names, two of them I have separate sites for and one I'm pointing to xxx.domain.com instead of making a new site for it. You think this is better for SEO, will this make my main domain better since it will have a lot more content?

[torka]

Search engines index and rank pages, not domains. "More content" is an on-page factor that only applies to that page. "More content" on another page isn't going to help the page you're looking at.

What will help from other pages are links. Those links can come from pages on the same domain or from different domains; either way, generally speaking if the pages doing the linking are in the index themselves, they will pass along link value.

This is a business decision, not an SEO decision. So, put the content on a domain where it makes the most sense from a business / branding standpoint, and link the pages (whatever their domain name might be) together as it makes the most sense from a business / usability standpoint.

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

[detzx]

Makes sense. I plan on releasing some of the products for free in return for a back link to my site. So in this case the hopes is I get a lot of back links to my main site and thus increase the page rank. If I have the product on it's own domain then my main site wont get the back links the other site will. See what I mean?

[torka]

I see what you think you mean, but -- if you'll pardon me for saying so -- you're looking at it the wrong way. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

See, people can't link to your site. They link to a page. If that linked-to page in turn links out to other pages, those other pages will get the benefit from those links.

It makes no difference if the pages are on the same or different domains. Which pages get the benefit of links is a function of your link architecture, not which domain the pages reside on.

That's why the domain you choose to use for a particular purpose is a business and branding decision, not an SEO decision. The SEO part comes in to play in how you choose to link those pages together, not in their domain name.

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

[michael_ter]

So, put the content on a domain where it makes the most sense from a business / branding standpoint, and link the pages (whatever their domain name might be) together as it makes the most sense from a business / usability standpoint.
--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

Thank you for your replay. I had similar dilema though slightly different. I have a working site that sells different products. As some products are "too different" I am thinking to place them into their own domain or subdomain with their own shopping carts and databases. To use present SEO heritage I want to keep my old site linking structure the same but just change links for those "divorsed" products from local to newly organized domain-sites. Will it work out?

[torka]

Assuming I understand correctly what you're proposing: I think if you have products all linked together, with some of them on one domain using one shopping cart and others on another domain and using another shopping cart, you're going to confuse the heck out of your site visitors and it's not going to do one darned thing to help you with the search engines.

Remember, "domain" does not equal "site" (and vice versa). If you link everything together the same way they were before you added the separate domains, you've simply created a single site that's made up of multiple domains. People generally expect all the pages on a site to use the same shopping cart.

Not to mention that this will generate new URLs for all the "different" products that you move. "Generating new URLs" is generally something to avoid for already-indexed pages.

What benefit do you think you'll get by moving these products to separate domains? Having wildly different products for sale through a single domain doesn't seem to have hurt Amazon or eBay all that much... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink1.gif)

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

[michael_ter]

What benefit do you think you'll get by moving these products to separate domains? Having wildly different products for sale through a single domain doesn't seem to have hurt Amazon or eBay all that much... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink1.gif)

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

Thank you, Torka, for your time, for understanding correct my idea and for explanations. Far be it from me to compare me with Amazon - Amazon is a huge department store and people visit it knowing that they can buy there everything, they even do not need make a search in Google. When visitors get to my modest site(s) after search in SE they should know from the very first page what they can find here. That is why I thought to make separate sites with separate domains for relatively different products.

People generally expect all the pages on a site to use the same shopping cart.

It is assumed that people buy only ony type of products (at least my experience shows this - this gave me idea to make separate sites). So old site may be a kind of mall with some separate shops inside. But...

"Generating new URLs" is generally something to avoid for already-indexed pages.

That is what I was worrying about Thank you for warning. First I was going just to install other more flexible shopping cart instead of old one and to change links but even this may be painfull.
Here is a dilemma between "user friendly" and "SEO friendly" sites.

Other my intention to make separate sites with own domains was to submit to SE each site separately but it turned out not be as in "off-line life" - more store - more sales.

Thank you again for your advises. Most probably I keep the old site as it is not touching it and will try to develop other sites independently.

[torka]

There's really not a lot of difference between an visitor friendly site and a search friendly site. Search engine spiders are visitors, just like people are. And search engines want to present in their results sites that (human) searchers will find valuable and easy to use.

I don't know what kind of shoppers you have or what you sell. But for me, when I'm shopping, I'm not at all put-off or disconcerted by sites that offer a variety of merchandise. Sure, Wal*Mart offers a lot of different products in their brick-and-mortar stores, and I expect to see that when I walk in. But there are also a lot of tiny mom-and-pop stores in the small town I live in, and many of them also offer a variety of products... and it doesn't make me stop shopping there.

For instance, there's a small family-run market near my house where they sell landscape plants, fresh-picked vegetables, custom-decorated cakes, home decor items (holiday decorations, scented candles, craft items) and really yummy fudge. I don't consider it odd or unusual to find all these items in one store. It would be silly (and confusing) to make me go to three different cash registers if I wanted to purchase (for instance) a wreath for my front door, a pound of dark chocolate peanut butter fudge and a flat of petunias... and it would be silly for them to go through the extra expense of building and staffing five different stores just so each store could stock one product "theme."

When visitors get to my modest site(s) after search in SE they should know from the very first page what they can find here.

No visitor will arrive at your site through search. They will arrive at a page on your site through search. Yes, it would probably be confusing for your visitors (human and search engine) if you were to put door wreaths, fudge and petunias on a single page -- but there's no problem from either Google's point of view or the point of view of your customers with having separate individual pages for each of those products on a single site.

On your home page, you speak to the variety of products you offer and what benefits customers can gain from doing business with you (a one stop shop, local products, "best of breed" from around the world, natural/organic/cruelty-free, the latest in high-tech toys, etc.). Use category pages to sort out products into general groups. Then pages within those categories for each individual product.

Amazon, eBay et.al. may be big now, but they didn't necessarily start off that way. Wal*Mart started out with one store. McDonald's started as a single restaurant. Just because your site is "humble" now doesn't mean it has to stay that way forever. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And you can often learn a lot from observing how "the big boys" set things up.

See, usually, it's less expensive and easier to administer when you sell all your wares from one store. If you have radically different shipping and return policies for different products, or the products target wildly different audiences who don't want to have anything to do with each other, or there's some other business/administrative reason why they need to be separated, that's one thing. But it's almost never necessary, IMO, to separate products on to their own stand-alone sites strictly for "SEO reasons."

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

This post has been edited by torka: Aug 29 2007, 11:35 AM

[michael_ter]

Thank you, Torka, for being so patient. That was interesting to find out that you are a shopper too and to hear your "shopper's opinion" - being a seller sometimes I am wrong what shoppers think (it makes me to recollect the movie with Mel Gibson "What women want" ). The discussed topic is more a matter of business than seo techique and I am grateful for your advises

[torka]

The discussed topic is more a matter of business than seo techique

Exactly! By George, I think he's got it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clapping.gif)

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

[SEO Slacker]

If you have radically different shipping and return policies for different products, or the products target wildly different audiences who don't want to have anything to do with each other, or there's some other business/administrative reason why they need to be separated, that's one thing. But it's almost never necessary, IMO, to separate products on to their own stand-alone sites strictly for "SEO reasons."

Excellent post. I see no reason to split up each product as its own site unless they conflict with each other in some way. In fact, one site offering several products, even if they're unrelated, probably looks more professional and established than a few smaller sites with only one product. I, as a shopper, usually am a little more wary of those one-page sales letter-type sites than a site that offers an entire product line.

[Simpler Search]

Search engines index and rank pages, not domains. "More content" is an on-page factor that only applies to that page. "More content" on another page isn't going to help the page you're looking at.

What will help from other pages are links. Those links can come from pages on the same domain or from different domains; either way, generally speaking if the pages doing the linking are in the index themselves, they will pass along link value.

This is a business decision, not an SEO decision. So, put the content on a domain where it makes the most sense from a business / branding standpoint, and link the pages (whatever their domain name might be) together as it makes the most sense from a business / usability standpoint.

--Torka (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mf_prop.gif)

Hi Torka.. I am an admitted newbie but reading your replies in this thread leads me to believe you may have the answer to my question... If I am supposed to ask it in a different place I have not been able to discover where.

My "story"
I am building a template that will be skinned for 100 domains of niche Search Drectories. Each has its own domain name and will have its own individualized "site" with its own logo, Category specific articles, blogs, photos, links and Ads. I would expect each to be reached through Organic searches as the sites are nicely set up with SEO features.

Also... each "individual domain" is intended to be a part of a larger portal that will be a central "launching" hub for the 100. While each domain would carry its own logo it would also feature the logo of the Hub Portal and the "slogan" for the collective sites.

Now that the template is nearing completion (10 months later), I am thinking of whether I truly have to pay for 100 hosting sites in order for each of the domains' home pages to show up in Google's search (or for that matter MSN, Yahoo, Ask etc). This would be a $1,000 month expense, that at the startup stage would be stressing.

So am I missing something? In terms of SEO and PR, am I better off paying for hosting*100 sites or is there a way I can use Subdomains while still keeping my sites (or pages) crawled independently? Still get into the Organic Search results for the specific domain category and and not have to pay so much each month?

Thanks
SimplerSearch

[Jill]

So am I missing something? In terms of SEO and PR, am I better off paying for hosting*100 sites or is there a way I can use Subdomains while still keeping my sites (or pages) crawled independently? Still get into the Organic Search results for the specific domain category and and not have to pay so much each month?

You can totally use subdomains. Your situation sounds like exactly the perfect scenario for using them. I would definitely go with that option.

[Simpler Search]

You can totally use subdomains. Your situation sounds like exactly the perfect scenario for using them. I would definitely go with that option.

So Jill, Assuming for the sake of discussion that my Main Portal will be www.SimplerSearch.com

And I have domains like these (plus over 100 more):

The HomeImprovementsDirectory.com
The MusicalInstrumentsDirectory.com
TheSoccerDirectory.com
ThePartySupplyDirectory.com

that I originally thought would need to each have their own hosting ...

how would I set the Domain and Sub Domain and individual Home page URL so that someone searching for a Soccer Directory would find me in organic searches?

Thanks

Jerry

[Jill]

Not sure I understand the question. The urls aren't what will get you found in search engines, you have to actually optimize the content and structure of your websites.

I'm guessing you would simply create subdomains such as:

soccer.simplersearch.com
musicalinstruments.simplersearch.com

etc.