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I have optimized keywords and structure, but there is not a lot of content, and it is hard to get inbound links.
However, they have a "usufull links" page, which I´m considering converting into a Big Translation Resorces Portal (so that translators link to it).
The problem is that I´m not sure whether just adding it to the actual website, or creating a whole new website/domain.
Which option will Google prefer?
- wwww.mycompany.com/keyword/portal
- www.portal.com
Here's a great place to start mining through her invaluable strategic contributions to this arena:
A Question Of Hubs [webmasterworld.com]
Designing and Maintaining a Hub [webmasterworld.com]
I'd also recommend digging through the Library [webmasterworld.com] for more recent threads covering the subject.
At that point if you have any further questions post them in the appropriate forum and I'm sure you'll find the community very happy to chime in with opinions and suggestions.
In answer to your direct question:
The problem is that I´m not sure whether just adding it to the actual website, or creating a whole new website/domain.
Which option will Google prefer?
- wwww.mycompany.com/keyword/portal
- www.portal.com
Personally, I would go with a third option...
portal.mycompany.com
Let me put it in another way.
There is the commercial site, with very poor content and PR, and a related vortal with plenty of usufull and well-rating information.
The fact is that I am certain many people will link to this vortal, so it will get a high PR. And, for sure, I will link my vortal with my commercial site. But, which is the best way to make my commercial site take profit from the PR of my vortal?
- If I organize the vortal as a section of my commercial site, Google might think: if these pages (those of the vortal) are so interesting, the rest (the commercial ones) should also be, so let´s increase their ranking.
- If I build up the vortal in a new domain, Google might think that the links pointing to my commercial site are of best quality, because the vortal is an independent site.
Thanks in advance (and sorry for my English, I´m spanish)
Perhaps it would be better in the long run to focus more attention on developing more content - which you previously mentioned was lacking.
I found a way to highly increase content in a complementary subject, and THAT is the content I´m considering as a vortal.
The question is where to place all that info
Basically, you're looking at Page Rank issues on one hand, and the potential for the status of the site, or sites, if you decide to separate them on the other.
From one perspective, expanding the links page to a broader scope where it is on the commercial site technically makes it into a links directory which would be just a portion of a commercial site. If you look at ODP for choice of a category, the index page of the commercial site would belong in one spot - a commercial category.
On the other hand, if you develop what's now the links page into what you've mentioned separately:
converting into a Big Translation Resorces Portal (so that translators link to it).
you're placing the status of such a site at a different level of definition, that of a Directory - or Portal / Vortal, a resource for Translation and Translators, which would be other than commercial in nature, by definition of its homepage. That would belong in a different type of ODP category altogether from a Commercial site if it were kept separate, and if well developed and promoted, would be more likely to have higher Page Rank for the homepage than if it were just part of the commercial.
A paper dug up that talks about hubs and authorities:
[www10.org...]
If you're linking out to a lot of useful, valuable sites on the topic, you're looking at having status as a hub. Coupled with rich content, that could encourage links pointing to it, and with enough inbound links the site becomes an authority on translation.
In turn, the more the site is linked to, the higher the Page Rank would be. How that Page Rank is distributed within the site then depends on the navigation structure you incorporate, and the inbound links you'd get to deeper sections and pages within the site - but most would probably point to the index page, as would directory listings, until the point when interior sections grew enough to warrant additional listings.
If the commercial site had more content developed it could probably attract links on its own, as well as benefitting from a link from the vortal, which would also be conferring Page Rank.
That's how I see the concept strategically of developing them, from the standpoint of having them as separate sites. Others may see it differently, or have other ideas about developing them together.
In the final analysis, which way will people prefer the site? Which way will establish branding and recognition by people most easily remembering the URL to type it in? Done whichever way people will prefer by linking to it, Google will like it by rewarding it with high Page Rank.
Just my personal opinion and preference, I'd go with:
www.commercialsite.com and
www.vortalsite.com
as distinct entities that are easy to remember as standardized URLs, and build each with it's own emphasis and unique content and identity. It's quite possible that a quality vortal could get to PR7 or PR8, whereas as just a section of the commercial site I'd guess that it's a less likely possibility.
Check out Brett's, as well as chiyo's posts in this thread:
[webmasterworld.com...]
and some of the links from this article
[searchengineworld.com...]
And this excellent thread on Search Engine Theme Pyramids and Google
[webmasterworld.com...]
There you'll find how to best utilize the navigation to maximize the flow of Page Rank within and throughout the site.
Which is the best way to make my commercial site take profit from the PR of my vortal?
If your primary concern is boosting the PR of your commercial site then this question would best be served by posting in the Google forum.
If you want to consider PR as only one factor in your strategy (which I highly recommend) then this is the place. :)
- If I organize the vortal as a section of my commercial site, Google might think: if these pages (those of the vortal) are so interesting, the rest (the commercial ones) should also be, so let´s increase their ranking.
This is a misunderstanding of how PageRank works. Each individual page has a PR based on it's authority. (inbound links)
Google won't "decide" that the rest of your site is more worthy of a high PR... only inbound links from quality (high PR) pages will. These can either come from other sites or your own vortal.
If you are strictly interested in generating PR to pass on to your commercial site, a purely informational non-commercial vortal may be easier to generate links for.
In theory a sub-vortal in your commercial site could qualify for inclusion in the non-commercial directories of Yahoo, DMOZ, and many others... In practice it may be a bit more challenging, as any human editor is certainly going to check out the root domain to see what your commercial interests are and may (correctly) assess that your vortal is just a vehicle for promoting those commercial interests.
An entirely separate site would certainly make this easier during the early submission and reciprocal linking stage.
One major point to keep in mind with all of this... Google has emphatically stated again and again that anything done purely for the purpose of manipulating PageRank is grounds for penalization.
Provided you don't go overboard with the cross-linking of your sites, provide an authentic and quality resource for your visitors, and also have a large number of inbound links for your commercial site beyond those coming from your vortal you should be okay... but there is always a risk when trying to "work" the system.
Marcia's recommendation of looking at what will serve your visitors most is almost always the safest long term strategy.
Thanks in advance (and sorry for my English, I´m spanish)
De nada. (perdon mi Español, soy Americano ;))
I will definitely set up a separate vortal with usufull resources for translators and promote it the best I can. The idea is convert it into a hub/authority site and develop it in a themes structure (as suggested in other threads).
