Using multiple domains to build PageRank

Until recently standard advice in the SEO community has been not to break up content across multiple domains. It’s easier to administer one domain than it is to administer multiple domains. And with one domain you can maintain one site design.

But now Google has forced people to chase PageRank because most Web content won’t be included in the Main Web Index. Main Web Index content is given preference in Google’s search results over more relevant content that is only included in the Supplemental Results Index.

People could be making life or death decisions on the basis of what they find in Google’s search results, so since Google refuses to show the most relevant and oftentimes most authoritative content first, it is incumbent upon Webmasters to obtain the PageRank necessary to be included in the Main Web Index.

You can do that by buying PageRank-passing links from Google-approved link-selling resources like Yahoo!, ThomasNet, and others. Of course, most of those Google-approved link sellers typically only accept one link per Web site.

So one way to expand your link buying opportunities is to create more Web sites and channel the PageRank you purchase from Google-approved link sellers toward the domain that most needs the PageRank.

For example, let’s say you operate an eCommerce business. You could easily create three domains: a Corporate site with information about your business, a blog where you share news and information (and opinion), and the actual eCommerce site where people can buy your products.

You can buy Google-approved PageRank selling links for each of these domains and then help ensure you get your content into the Main Web Index by interlinking your domains.

I would recommend you use distinct, unique Web site templates for each domain. They should not look like they come from the same CMS.

I would also recommend you NOT integrate the navigation very closely. Yahoo! is still sensitive to closely interlinked domains.

I would also recommend that you NOT duplicate content across the three sites. Take the time to develop each domain individually so that it has its own intrinsic, unique value.

You are building content for PageRank and in order to get that PageRank you cannot afford to take any shortcuts.

After all, people may be using Google to find accurate information and it’s not likely they will find it if Google isn’t levelling the playing field and allowing all unique, legitimate content to rank on the basis of relevance rather than on the basis of which pages are included in the Main Web Index.

You can also leverage your blog to help promote your content by writing blog features about your new product and service rollouts.

If you want to build a user community where you respond to feedback from customers, then it would be a good idea to create your forums on their own domain. You can buy Google-approved, PageRank passing links from Google-accepted link sellers like Yahoo!, ThomasNet, and other directory services for as many domains as you can legitimately create to support your business.

If your company produces a significant amount of press releases and/or news events, it may even make sense for you to create a company news site for which you can buy Google-approved PageRank passing links from Google-accepted link sellers.

The more domains you build to capture PageRank, the more PageRank you’ll have to pass around your own content. And as we all know, the more PageRank you have, the more of your content will be included in Google’s search results where people will find it.