Different domains but one website

any advantages?

[jvbahnik]

Anyone tried to create a site with a different domain for each section? I'm not talking about subdomains but actual domains. So even though the visitor feels like he is staying on the same site, navigating through sections, he is actually going to different domains.
Any advantages, especially with Search Engines?

Thank You

[John Carpenter]

As a visitor, I'd probably find the site navigation and all this a bit confusing. I'd think that subdomains would be a bit more suitable for that purpose. Just my opinion.

[John Carpenter]

Any advantages, especially with Search Engines?

And as far as SEs are concerned... I remember reading somewhere that site folders are actually more effective than subdomains. Probably due to the fact that Google treats x.domain.com and y.domain.com as two completely separate domain names.

[tedster]

Assuming regular navigation in the page templates, this approach stands a good chance of showing up on Google's internal web-map as a heavily cross-linked network, created to manipulate search results. In other words, I think the possibility is there of not just being penalized but banned.

This kind of approach had its day, but the way search engines are now, I would stay away from it. Develop each domain as a stand-alone website, perhaps, if you have plenty of content. But keep the cross-linking to a lower level than you would if you tried to make the user experience that of one seamless site.

[luckychucky]

You'll be spreading and diluting your SERPS power over many entities. Better to build the one behemoth, so all your SEO efforts serve to build up the strength of a single URL. Concentrated strength is way more powerful and effective. One huge site beats several little sites hands-down.

(and if for some ill-advised reason you should still want to go the multi-domain route, be sure to host each site with its own totally different host/server)