Domain within a domain - is it bad on Google?

[kapow]

I created a site for a client about 2 months ago with about 5 categories and about 20 pages in each category. We are working on promoting the site (links etc) and waiting for it to get out of Google's sandbox.

Now the client wants a new domain name that points to one of the categories (folders) within the site.
Does anyone know if this will have a negative effect on the rank of the main site (when it begins to rank), particularly with Google?

[jetboy_70]

Unless the category in question is made inaccessible to Googlebot by using something like robots.txt or delinking it from the rest of the site then one way or another *you will get hit for duplicate content*

It'll probably be the new site that won't get a decent ranking, but with both domains being new I'd say you were running a bigger risk than just that.

However, if the new domain is just used as a pointer using a permanent redirect then there will be no harm done at all. :)

[kapow]

The customer wants everything (including that category) on Google for the main domain.

you will get hit for duplicate content

That is my main worry. I want Google to spider that folder but only for the main domain name.

...both domains being new

I know but I can't change that, and my client doesn't want to wait 9 months for the first domain to catch on.

I can't do a permanent redirect as my customer wants the name to show in the browser.

Should I simply tell him he can have his crazy idea but at the expense of his google listings?

Hmmm.... How about using a framed page for the 2nd domain?

[jetboy_70]

Should I simply tell him he can have his crazy idea but at the expense of his google listings?

Or just say: "One page. One domain. Your choice"

How about using a framed page for the 2nd domain

Can't really help there, but I can tell you that I inherited a well establised domain framing a less well established site, and the target site's rankings dropped badly a few months ago at the same time as the framing site's increased. Changing to a permanent redirect restored the target's site rankings within a week. Read into that what you will, but I wouldn't assume that frames will be problem free.

[tedster]

jetboy spekas the truth. I've recently run into all kinds of cross-contamination between framing and framed domains. I thought the SEs had this all sorted out years ago, but some how recent changes in algorithms have brought new problems.

One page. One domain. Your choice

That's the original web metaphor, and it seems to be enforcing it self in all sorts of subtle and not so subtle ways, a decade after Netscape first thought up frames. And a dark day it was indeed.

[killroy]

Just use some apache magic to show a robots.txt excludign spiders just when arrived through the secondary domain. this way its available for whatever marketing purposes, but it won't interfere with the rankings ofr the main domain. I do this regularly.

SN

[kapow]

That sounds excellent Killroy.

Ermm... How do I do it?