Yet Another Multiple Site Question

How to link related sites?

[tbrown421]

I haven't found a recent answer to this, so maybe someone can help:

I plan to have multiple closely-related 3-5 page sites on the same shared server, and would like to link them. In other words, each would have a set of outward-bound links like this:

"If you liked this site about blue widgets, then see:
red-widgets. com
green-widgets. com
mauve-widgets. com

Would Google penalize that, especially since in the beginning I'd have no inbound links from external sites?

Or, to take it a step further, would the risk increase (if there is risk) if there was additional two-way linking between each colored-widget site and a central
all-about-widgets. com
site?

From the standpoint of users, it seems the "intent" would be reasonable and valid, but I don't want to risk being penalized for trying to artificially increase page rank.

Ideas?
Thanks,
Tom

[jeremy goodrich]

As long as you are designing for the user's benefit, it will help your sites. The way you have described - I do similar, where appropriate, with sites about different varieties of widgets.

User's do click on 'related links' on all my sites where I have them, so I would say it is a great practice.

The side benefit, of course, is the increase in PageRank / link popularity for search engines. Which brings in more users, who in turn appreciate your well designed network of 'widgets' sites.

The umbrella, all about widgets site, sounds good as well. You can cross promote the various domains that way, which will help the sites give credibility to each other.

[mil2k]

Your situation looks ok. Just be careful not to Cross link Extensively i.e. each page of your site links to each page of all your other sites. These are the linking patterns which may get penalised especially when they are new and have fewer back links. HTH.

[tbrown421]

Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.

Tom

[seoRank]

DigitalHost has listed out some good points here -

[webmasterworld.com ]