How to best use a new domain name with my keyphrase

[bj]

I've got a conundrum I hoped y'all would help with. I've slipped to the second page of google for one of my best producing keyphrases, since the field has become a LOT more competitive than when I first started in, and I've seen an accompanying drop in conversions. I'm hoping to reverse that.

I'm sure there's some on-page stuff I can do, and will be looking at that in another thread. But meanwhile I've also snagged a GREAT domain name containing my keyphrase. I'm shocked I got it, but I did! I actually got another one that's almost as good, as well.

I'd rather not change my domain name, since it's a well established domain with linkbacks well into the five figures. So the question is how best to use the new domain name.

The simplest would be to simply 301 redirect the new domain name to the old site, and then promote the new domain name. Is there a problem in doing this? Will it pull up a dupe content penalty doing things this way?

Another way would be to build a simple blog on this site on a different IP block, blog periodically, and link back to my original site. This is more work but potentially better for conversions. What pitfalls can I run into here?

Is there another way to use this new keyphrase rich domain name that I missed?

[cw1865]

Can you build a new website around the new domain name? If so, build it and wait out the search engines. For the current site really all that you can do is to bid for the term, get some nice anchor text links in to help bolster it. Whatever you do, don't do anything drastic-believe it or not being at the top of page 2, when you consider the number of people 'banging at the door' is not that bad, don't do anything to get yourself to page 6.

[bj]

LOL! Yeah, I can do that, and yes, I don't want to lose position, for sure. But if you saw some of the people ahead of me, I gotta wonder what they're doing there.

I guess building a new site, though much more work, is do-able. Nothing like having three sites that do the exact same thing . . .

[cw1865]

I'm on 13, I guess its better having three sites doing the same thing than 13 sites that don't seem to do what I want them too!

[rcourtney]

I know that permanent redirects are not supposed to trigger a duplicate content filter or have any lasting effect on ranking. However, it happened twice to two different customers who did something very similar to what you are contemplating.

After that, I tested it and while the effect does differ depending on whether you direct the new to the old or the old to the new or even the new to a single page, there is a definite reduction in rank. One would expect this reduction to come back after they figure out the permanent redirect but none came back to the same level as before.

[davidmg]

Originally Posted by bj

The simplest would be to simply 301 redirect the new domain name to the old site, and then promote the new domain name. Is there a problem in doing this? Will it pull up a dupe content penalty doing things this way?

Is the site new or was it used by someone else? Does it have traffic that could be redirected over? The only way a 301 works is if someone types in the url.

Getting a new url lets you rebuild your website with a new look instead of doing a redesign that could hurt. Make an all out effort to design a better web site on both the new urls.

I use multiple sites each with different content selling the same products. Knock on wood I still maintain 17 out of the top 30 on certain keywords. They are all my sites, The all sell the same products they are just different descriptions and different content.

The only way I would 301 is if the site had a lot of traffic, but even if it did have traffic it would go to the new site. google site:yourdomain.com and see what kind of links it has before you deciede. Building mulitiple sites can be a pain but if you do them right you gain on your competion with multiple sites.

[bj]

Okay, looks like I'm going to have another site. I was just hoping I could avoid that.

Thanks, rcourtney, for sharing that experience. It would be hell to go through this to improve things only to have it do the opposite.

I guess I can live with doing another whole site, though maintaining as many sites as I have is getting to be work. And I imagine I'll just have to maintain them all as separate entities.

Which means that my business card design will eventually be very challenging.

New domain name has 0 pr so probably brand new register. Killer keyphrase though, so I don't care. Yes, it will be work building another site up to a pr6 with linkbacks in the 5 figures, but if I did it once . . . *sigh*

[cw1865]

I'm just curious, what's the keyword domain?

[bj]

wordpresscustomthemes.net

[craigmn3]

Word Press Themes sounds like an excellent portal for a little viral marketing.

I would take a two step approach.. build the new site(s) while keeping them unique enough to avoid duplicate content issues, and them promote them like a blizzard on every word press blog you can find. Also on the new site, any page that you are going to link to in your viral marketing also has a link to your existing site so that you get a two layered IBL system going.

[bj]

Looks like I'm gonna be building for the next few days. Thanks, craigmn3, that sounds like a plan.

Anybody have any other ideas on how to leverage these domains?

[deepsand]

A 301 from the root of the new domain name cannot result in duplicate content so long as the new domain has no content.

I've numerous URLs, all redirected to the same URL, each with its own promo channel(s).

[Seminole386]

BJ,
I hate giving you advice because I respect your comments above most others. I sell real estate. Google moves me on and off page one. Usually 1-4th position when I am on. I have several sites with the primary difference being the title, the initail description and all linked to each other; the balance of the site is identical except for one page which shows what has sold. If I loose my position I add another site. I remain a leader on Yahoo. Even when my sites disapear on G, not all go away. I still get high rankings on 2-3. I repost the missing sites and within a few days they appear again. I have been doing this since 1999 without a penalty.

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by Seminole386

BJ,
I hate giving you advice because I respect your comments above most others. I sell real estate. Google moves me on and off page one. Usually 1-4th position when I am on. I have several sites with the primary difference being the title, the initail description and all linked to each other; the balance of the site is identical except for one page which shows what has sold. If I loose my position I add another site. I remain a leader on Yahoo. Even when my sites disapear on G, not all go away. I still get high rankings on 2-3. I repost the missing sites and within a few days they appear again. I have been doing this since 1999 without a penalty.

When you say "repost the missing sites," precisely what do you mean?

[Orion]

Hey BJ..

personally I had clients with multi sites me too we've combined them all by topic now... if your other site is wordpress related only have the single site.

Point the new domain directly to the directory on the main domain that contains the wordpress themes...

I would not point via 301 though, I'd do it using the registrar or dns.

[joewattie]

Similar situation and I'm not a web developer so doing a 2nd site isn't really an option.

So I'm guessing there're problems with a simple "domain forward"?

Our site is hosted by a local company. He says something like he sets up each domain name i give him into our site and doesn't use domain forward? Guess that could be true since copyscape shows duplicate content to my other site. Given that one of my duplicates has an ok PR maybe i'm not going to get wacked as bad as i think?

My new duplicate is on page three already (1 mo) so who knows.

What i'm fumbling with is one of my keywords show up undeservedly high on page one. The only way i can rationalize this is my key word is my website name is my company name.

Now the plural of my keyword does NOT show up so i got a domain name that is the plural of my original name.

Like I say, i'm clueless but i blunder on.

[deepsand]

Google actually actively works to help resolve "duplicate content" issues in a manner that is not detrimental to the site in question.

Additionally, Google recommends 301s as one means of reducing the appearance of duplicate content.

See 12SEP07 post at Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Google, duplicate content caused by URL parameters, and you for details.

[venividi]

I don't think you need to create a special site for your domain.

In these cases, I "spread" my site over a number of domains iespecially if the site has many languages or different types of products. Navigation is almost seemless for the visitors.

Of course, the text is not mirrored in any way and I register only ONE of the domains.

Valeria

[deepsand]

Originally Posted by venividi

I don't think you need to create a special site for your domain.

In these cases, I "spread" my site over a number of domains iespecially if the site has many languages or different types of products. Navigation is almost seemless for the visitors.

Of course, the text is not mirrored in any way and I register only ONE of the domains.

Valeria

In this case, the petitioner has acquired a domain name which is believed to be much better suited to an existing site. As it is then desired to promote the new name only, while minimizing any loss in rankings already acheived by the extant site, there is nothing to be gained, and much to be risked, by "spreading" the site.

BTW, how is it possible to use multiple domain names if you've registered but 1 of them?

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