Are you wondering about ways to improve your SEO strategy?
SEO is indeed a powerful tool yet achieving the top rank can be a challenging task. You may try to rank for a particular keyword only to realise that other sites end up performing better. You might rank on the first page of search engines but at a much lower rank that you actually want to be.
Well, there are various techniques that can be employed to improve SEO. A strategy that can enable you to establish a strong presence in search engines is multiple domain strategy. Quite a number of businesses have successfully used this strategy to dominate on search engine results.
It is a powerful strategy but requires the right implementation techniques to be successful. Moreover, it is a long-term strategy and you should not expect immediate results. This blog focuses on what exactly a multiple domain strategy is all about.
Understanding Multiple Domain Strategy:
The following example will help you to get clarity about multiple domain strategy.
Let us take an example:
This example involves real estate giants Trulia and Zillow. Trulia is owned by Zillow. When you Google ‘real-estate’, you will notice both Zillow and Trulia on the first page of Google.
This is referred to as a multiple domain strategy. Zillow and Trulia are actually the same company and this strategy enables them to rank their overall brand for particular keywords.
Basically, the entire idea of multiple domain strategy is to strengthen your SEO. This technique involves the use of multiple domains to rank better. It enhances the probability of a user clicking on a result and being directed to your website. Multiple domain strategy is a unique technique as most website owners only focus on ranking for certain pages.
Reasons for Employing A Multiple Domain Strategy:
You may be wondering why at all you should use a multiple domain strategy. After all, it is not a widely used method. However, if implemented in the right manner and in the correct situation, it can help businesses make a huge difference. Let us look at some of the reasons why using this strategy might help you:
Multiple Brands:
Your business might be having multiple brands. This situation arises when companies create different brands for related areas. In a situation as this, you can try ranking for the same keyword. This enables you to rank better for your main keyword.
A Specific Keyword That You Want To Emphasise on:
If there is a certain keyword that you want to own, you can use this technique. Zillow and Trulia have been able to gain the monopoly over the keyword real estate.
You Have Multiple Sites With Quality Link Equity:
Link equity can be defined as the influence of links on the ability of a page to rank for certain search queries. In other words, it is the power that is possessed by your links. Websites need to have good link equity to make the strategy work.
Two Effective Multiple Domain Strategy methods:
To implement multiple domain strategy, there are two methods that you can use.
– The first involves developing micro-sites. This involves creating new sites.
– The second option involves using 301 redirects to preserve links and take complete advantage of having an existing audience.
Let us now consider the advantages and disadvantages associated with each of these methods.
Building Micro-sites:
There is no doubt about the fact that this method requires time and effort. However, it can yield great results. Firstly, you need to figure out the gap that your micro-site intends to fill. Basically, the micro-site that you create should genuinely serve a purpose and be beneficial for your audience. For creating a micro-site, you may require buying a new domain.
301 Redirects:
The 301 redirect is an easy yet extremely powerful method. It can enable you to direct 90%-99% of the ranking of the previous link to the new one. This implies that if you purchase a domain that ranks for a certain keyword and is able to redirect that site, you will be able to secure the majority of the old sites links.
However, you will not be able to inherit the ranking. But redirecting is much more convenient than building a new micro-site altogether. You also need to bear in mind that redirecting from a purchased domain will comparatively fetch you a little less link juice. This is especially true if you are not using the content from the purchased site.
Let us now look at the steps involved in the process of building a multiple domain strategy.
Acquire The Domains:
The first step to building a multiple domain strategy is to get a domain. You can use the following three methods for this purpose:
– Develop a new domain
– Purchase expired domains
– Purchase an existing domain
You need to consider each of these carefully as they have their own advantages and disadvantages. You need to be sure about the strategy that will best work for you.
1. Developing A New Domain:
The safest method is to develop your own new domain. This is not only the cheapest option but enables you to have complete control over the domain that you get. The entire idea is to develop a new brand or micro-site around your existing brand. Creating an entirely new micro-site might not be that easy. So the better option is to take the micro-site route.
You can go to Domainsbot.com and look for ideas to figure out a name. If you already have something in mind, you can check the variations and use Domainsbot.com to find if any of the options are available. Once you find an available domain, you can buy it.
Some tips that you should keep in mind in this regard:
– Ensure that you use an original URL name: There are penalties for exact match domains from Google. This implies that if your keyword is in the URL,your SEO can take a hit.
– Use a .com address: Try using a .com address as it is considered as the most reliable. You can use country extensions too.
2. Purchasing An Expired Domain:
If you decide to opt for this option, you need to keep certain factors in mind.
Consider The Sites DA/PA:
The two major metrics that are used to determine a site’s SEO performance are Domain Authority (DA) and Page Authority (PA). It is necessary to ensure that the expired domain has a good DA and PA. For this, you can go to Moz’s Open Site Explorer.
You need to enter the URL and hit search:
You will find the DA and PA under the section ‘Authority’.
The scores that are displayed are out of 100 and scores ranging from 60-80 are good. You can even opt for scores between the ranges of 50-60. However, it might be comparatively a bit difficult.
Check The Link Profile Of The Site:
This can be done in Open Site Explorer from where you can fetch a table with the backlinks of the site. You might come across something like the following page which implies that the expired domain does not have any backlinks.
You can even employ a few link audit techniques to ensure that the link profile of the site is healthy.
Check The Site’s Ranking:
To determine this, you can head to SEMrush. You just need to enter the URL and hit ‘start now’
The result will display a list of keywords that the site ranks for.
Go Through The Site:
This is the simplest of the techniques that you need to consider. In most instances, visiting the site will give you an idea about the overall look and feel of the website. In fact, you can even determine if the site is trustworthy by just browsing through it. You can look out for details like:
– Are there too many ads?
– Is the topic strange?
If you find that an expired domain has a strong link profile, good DA and PA, solid ranking, you can go ahead and buy the page.
3. Buy Existing Domains:
If there is an existing non-expired domain, you can buy it. However, it might cost you quite a bit. For this purpose, you can visit Whois.com to figure out who owns a site and extend an offer to buy it.
Optimising Micro-site:
Before you actually begin using the purchased domain or the micro-site, you need to optimise to make them effective. This might take some time but if properly implemented, can give you positive outcomes.
Content:
The most important factor that requires consideration in this regard is the content. You need to ensure that your content is great. The entire strategy might fail if you do not have relevant content on your page.
To begin with, take the time to develop relevant content. Try developing long-form content that is comprehensive and will generate attention and backlinks.
Develop effective SEO strategy:
You need to work on all the three aspects of SEO that include:
– Technical
– On-page
– Off-page
Ideally, you should focus on all the three aspects. However, if you don’t have the time, you can emphasize on any one.
The areas that you need to stress on include:
Technical SEO:
– Speed of the site
– Mobile optimization
– Correcting errors
– Sitemaps
On Page Optimisation:
– Meta tags and title
– Optimising keywords
– Developing reader friendly content
– New content
Off-Page Optimisation:
– Getting backlinks
– Social bookmarking
After you have successfully created your micro-site, you need to wait for some time to get the results. However, keep focusing on creating great content that will enhance the quality of your pages.
301 Redirect Method:
If you plan to employ the 301 redirect method, you need to set it up once you are sure that the SEO of the old site is good. For this, you will need access to your websites .ht-access file. You can do this by going to your file manager, that is provided by your web host.
The process that you need to apply differs, depending upon your web hosting provider. The 301 redirect method can help you to boost the SEO much faster as compared to micro-sites.
Multiple domain strategy is a powerful SEO tool but before you decide to implement it, you need to ensure that you have the resources, time and money for its effective implementation. If not, it is a good idea to keep it on hold for some time. It is a long-term strategy with unique benefits. If you are successful in using it the right way, you will notice a significant boost in your SEO.
