Site is starting at PR0 because of duplicate content

should I start with new domain or will Google see the changes

[tombot]

I have a new site with some good incoming links, but I can tell that it's gonna be PR0. Normally the toolbar is gray, but sometimes now I'm seeing a white I guess because some of the data centers already have the update.

The site has lots and lots of pages, but no original content. I have permission to use the content, so there is no question of copyright violation, but on any given page you can find the exact same content on many other sites.

But now I have an idea of how to mix in some good original content and rebuild the whole site.

So my question is, is this site gonna have ongoing penalties or will Google increase the PR on subsequent updates if there is a lot of original content and I have good incoming links?

Better to start all over on a new domain or do you think it will be ok if I redo/update the site on the current domain?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

[Yidaki]

welcome o' board tombot,

i wouldn't trash a domain in such a early state. To minimize potential penalties, i would think about removing the content or banning googlebot (using robots.txt) until you are finished with rebuilding your site with more (or even only) unique content.

However, if you did some more things that google doesn't like (hidden stuff and things, ya know), i'd think about setting up a new domain for your new site just in case your current domains gets booted or heavily penalized.

[tombot]

Thanks Yidaki.

No hidden links or anything like that.

I guess I will keep going on this domain for a while and see what happens.

[jk3210]

>>so there is no question of copyright violation<<

Doesn't have an effect either way.

>>but on any given page you can find the exact same content on many other sites.<<

The same content (like a hotel description, for example) on different sites is not a problem.

>>or will Google increase the PR on subsequent updates if there is a lot of original content and I have good incoming links?<<

"original content" = better PR? No, not directly. But, if your original content produces more/better quality incoming links, then yes.

>>I have a new site with some good incoming links, but I can tell that it's gonna be PR0<<

If you have "good incoming links" there's a 99% chance it won't be a PR0.

>>Better to start all over on a new domain or do you think it will be ok if I redo/update the site on the current domain?<<

Google doesn't even know what to do with your site yet, so there's no way you could make a rational decision. I would wait. (As a matter of fact, I AM waiting on two sites, one of which is acting just like you described - grayBar/whiteBar.)

[tombot]

"Google doesn't even know what to do with your site yet, so there's no way you could make a rational decision. I would wait. (As a matter of fact, I AM waiting on two sites, one of which is acting just like you described - grayBar/whiteBar.)"

Yes I thought about this after I started redoing the whole thing. uh-oh. Well, I'm just gonna stop and wait before I ruin everything.

The one cool thing is that when I started to redo everything I came up with a much nicer design and logo for the site. So if I end up leaving the content the way it is after I know what Google is doing, I can incorporate the new look into the existing pages.