google policy on local serps as pages

is building local serps into static pages legit?

[Jonathan]

I'm curious as to whether google considers local serps legitimate pages. For example, can someone use their local site search engine to search on "keyword", and then build a static page from the search result page for "keyword", and then link to it from another page on the site, so that google can spider it?

I've seen a lot of pages in google's results that seem to have been constructed in this manner. Does google allow this? Is it considered bad SEO?

[Jonathan]

*bump*

I know it's my first post -- but it's decent :).

[Nikke]

Hi Jonathan, and welcome to Webmasterworld.

I'm not quite sure anyone really understands what it is you are asking about...

If I understand this correctly, you want to use your on-site search to do a search for a keyword. Build a static page mimicing that search and then link to the page that is pretending to be the result page for just that on-site search.

What would be the problem, except maybe a too high keyword density?

If I totally misunderstood, could you re-phrase?

[mcavic]

Will that page actually be useful to your visitors? If so, then it sounds okay.

But when you say "a lot of pages in google's results do that", I have a feeling that those pages are bad SEO.

[Jonathan]

Thanks Nikke -- you hit the nail on the head, that's exactly what I'm talking about.

It seems like some people have created many pages in this manner -- just running keywords through their local search engine, and building static pages like that. Surely others have seen serps in google that reflect this?

I suppose it could be very useful to visitors, if the built keyword pages were for common terms. What if someone were to use this tactic for 100,000 keywords, or more? Has google ever articulated anything on this matter? Does anyone consider this grey-zone SEO?

[steve40]

It basically depends if you are willing to lose your current domain if Google penalise

Check on here for large sites losing descriptions and penalised
G are much smarter and many sites with 100,000 pages built like that have been dropped in last 6 months

I suspect once they penalise you will lose all including your current pages

it's up to you if you wish to roll the dice rewards can be very high re: traffic
also suspect current sandbox effect may even pick up old sites with suddenly thousands of new pages so you could go for it and not gain traffic and lose current domain
high risk can equal high gains but lose all
just my 2 cents worth
steve

[Jonathan]

If Google has indicated that such a practice is unacceptable, then of course I wouldn't want to do it. Same for if the SEO community generally agrees that it's unacceptable. Is there a specific example somewhere of this being penalized, or even discussed? I've searched the site, but was unable to locate anything.