Is this a penalty?

[jojojo]

I recently built 10 sites that only use the index page - they are only 1 page deep.

Some of them are linked to each other - but not every sites linked to every site.

They are now showing 5-6 backlinks each and the new PR is 3-4 on each site - yet the are NOWHERE to be found in the SERP's - not even in the top 1000?

Is this a penalty - or is it an index pahe problem?

The onyl thing is that the index page is the only page used on the domain?

help..

[Brett_Tabke]

It isn't a penalty. But most have been saying there is a 'site size' flag in the algo, or something that causes the above effect. It's been talked about on/off for awhile (2-3 years). No on has ever been difinitive about it yet.

[jojojo]

site-size? Well the sites are actually very small.

So what do people do then? Do I just add more backlinks etc - could this not be some Dominic effect or somwthing?

please advise

[MarkHutch]

If this has been mentioned before and I missed it, please excuse this post. I've noticed very large web sites that are showing up as PR 0 lately and I doubt if these site have been trying to cheat on page rank or even know what it is. The biggest one I've noticed so far is the daily newspaper in Atlanta Georgia. I don't think we are suppose to post URL's in the forum, but you'll find the newspaper URL if you go to Altavista and enter "Atlanta Newspaper". You won't find it on Google because of the PR 0 deal. Is this becoming more common? When I search for newspapers in large cities, I'd like to be able to find them on Google.

[jojojo]

Can anyone shed some light on this - like what I shoudl do next?

[Brett_Tabke]

More content - more pages - less domains.

[jonrichd]

MarkHutch: As an Atlanta resident, I can tell you that that newspaper recently changed its web naming structure. In the past, it used to redirect its home page to a partner, which actually held the content.

Over the past month or so, it has started hosting its content itself. So I imagine that this particular case will work itself out in the wash.

[jojojo]

"More content - more pages - less domains."

So shoudl I get rid of some of the sites - or simply add more content to them and link more sites to them?

[MarkHutch]

I hope so. It's been my experience that once a site gets a PR 0 that it never goes away. I'm sure it is not Googles intention to remove sites like this one. Maybe GG will see this and fix the problem.

P.S. Sorry, I accidentally got this discussion going in someone else's thread.

[edited by: MarkHutch at 11:18 pm (utc) on June 16, 2003]

[Dolemite]

Can anyone shed some light on this - like what I shoudl do next?

I would advise you to create more substantial sites. Simple as that. I wouldn't expect a one-page site with a handful of backlinks to rank well anyway, but I can appreciate your frustration in not seeing them rank at all.

Think of it this way: how many useful sites do you come across that are only one page? I know, that doesn't mean there aren't any or that you couldn't very well create one. If you've got plenty of content on these single pages, just figure out a logical way to break it up, otherwise build more content and lay it out in a user and SE-friendly way. Using your site's own structure to your advantage is just plain good SEO and often works out to be quite intuitive in the process.

[jojojo]

I see - well in my industry - some of the largest sites with the most backlinks and highest PR and high relevancy and lost of content only use the index page and that's it.

[Dolemite]

some of the largest sites with the most backlinks and highest PR and high relevancy and lost of content only use the index page and that's it.

I would be very surprised if that were the case. Define the word "use" for me. Sure, many sites only update the index page and then add occasional articles linked from the index, but their site structure can often extend much wider and deeper than the index.

[jojojo]

Trust me dolemite they are only 1 page.

[Dolemite]

Well, copy them better, if that's what you're going after.

Personally, I would be making use of a good site structure since it would likely help you beat these one-page wonders.

[mfishy]

I would just add a few pages of any content at all. Throw some different keyword phrases in and different titles and you may pick up some more traffic that way. Also, you will get the benefit of some anchor text links pointing back to your index page.

Man, it's been a long time since I have seen a one page site!

[jojojo]

"I would just add a few pages of any content at all. Throw some different keyword phrases in and different titles and you may pick up some more traffic that way. "

So if I make say 10 subpages for each with content - should I link each subpage back to the index page? SHould I link each subpage to each other?

Should I link any of the subpages to any of the other of theses sites - index or subpages?

[Dolemite]

So if I make say 10 subpages for each with content - should I link each subpage back to the index page?

Yes.

SHould I link each subpage to each other?

If it makes sense to. I probably wouldn't in every case.

Should I link any of the subpages to any of the other of theses sites - index or subpages?

Again, where its logical. Don't go nuts with it or you risk it beeing seen as spam - either by filters/algorithms or competitors. Or, alternatively, if you don't care about these domains/sites and can stand to see them penalized and banned, feel free to link them all together.

Do these 10 sites have substantially similar content? If so, you may have already been filtered out.

[jojojo]

so if I add this will freshbot come by and index the pages - could that help to get the index page moving somehow?

[jojojo]

ok check this out - one of the sites says 'gold furry widget' as the primary kw

When I type in 'premium furry widget' the site comes up 3rd.

Does this mean that I simply need to add more backlinks etc to get the primary kw's?

I have 6 backlinks showing now and the site is a pr4

or should I at least come up in the top 500 for the primary kw?

I need some more light shed on this - I don't want to add more content to these pages if all they need is more PR/backlinks to rank higher

[jojojo]

anyone have any input on this?