Strategic search engine optimization involves far more than
keyword research, META tags and content. If you want to mange an
SEO program, you need to be aware of any issue that can affect
your success. Domain name management is one of the big factors.
Effective domain name management is critical because you could
end up getting banned from Google and other search engines if
you take the wrong approach.
Why would Google ban you?
In the spirit of fair play and providing depth in its results,
Google frowns on duplicate content. Some web site owners
purchase multiple domains and copy their content for both
domains. They figure they may land the #1 and #2 positions that
way. That may be the company's goal, but it's not very valuable
for the Internet searcher. Even if you don't maintain your
identical content with two or more domains, you can still run
into problems. It's possible to update just one set of web
pages, but have them look like duplicates because of how the
domain names are administered. You may be risking everything if
someone enters
www.yoursite2005.com/about.html and
www.oursite2005.com/about.html and they see the same content -
even if they pages reside in only one location. Many web site
owners redirect one domain to the next rather than configure the
server to associate the core content with a second domain name.
In many cases, a 301 redirect is your best bet. It's a
server-side redirect most administrators can handle in a few
minutes. In effect, it's a proper way of telling search engines
to ignore one domain and favor another. You may have many good
reasons for owning multiple domains, including brand protection.
Some companies get extra domains on the off-chance that someone
may simply try a domain name and see what comes up. A classic
example is 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. One of their domains is
www.1800flowers.com, but you can get there with
www.flowers.com
as well.
The Bottom Line
If you secure more than one domain, redirect the extras to your
main web site (on the server) or use the extra domains for
unique content (showcasing a line of products of services).
About the author:
Arnab Ghosh has 4 years experience of internet, web development
& web design. Now he runs his own webdesign & web development
company named Mod Studio India at Calcutta,India which can be
viewed at
http://www.modstudioindia.com.
