martinibuster - 5:21 am on Oct 10, 2006 (gmt 0)

Rae has a good point. That's fifty website's worth of authority that's being split into smaller units that together would make a more powerful website.

On a related note, this is a common question and the arguments go back and forth whether one should build a new site or incorporate it into an existing one. Many, including myself, advocating creating one big authority site.

Sometimes it's easier to push the edges than it is to think through what needs to be done to acquire honest links. But pushing the edges is really for sites with their backs against the walls.

I can say it's better to acquire existing websites (instead of domains) and point links from those into the main site, but I honestly could not recommend it if it's not in an edgy niche. Does your client want to go down a best-practices road? Are they in it for the long run?

There's a time to push the edges, so weigh if your client may or may not be in the space for that kind of activity.