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how to choose which sites to optimize?

go with many "mini" sites or one big one?

         

chancet

7:12 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



Hi everyone,

I am new to webmasterworld and have been amazed by all of the good comments and advice.

I have about 20 ecommerce web sites that all sell different, but generally related products (i use ppc exclusively right now). Each site sells only one product with just a few pages of content. None of the sites have been optimized before, so they have very few links and just a little PR. They do however, all contain the best keyword in their domain names.

I am just starting to consider SEO and am wondering whether it is best to try and optimize each of my sites, or build one big site that carries all products and optimize that one.

If I do just one site, getting links and generating content won't be as time consuming, and I could focus on getting a higher PR for that one site. But one umbrella site also won't be as targeted for any one product as the individual sites, and incoming link text will probably not contain my product keywords.

Has anyone else had to make a similar decision, or have an opinion about the best way to go? As you can tell, I'm truly starting from scratch here!

troels nybo nielsen

7:25 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



Welcome to WebmasterWorld, chancet.

How is your arrangement? Do you have one domain and one web hotel for each of your small websites? And if you have, do you then consider this to be a financial problem?

There are certainly advantages in having separate websites. I might suggest that you develop one of your websites into a small "portal" and then optimise the others for their individual products.

chancet

7:32 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



hi troels

thanks for the message. i do have one domain and one web site for each product. they are all hosted on the same dedicated server, which isn't a problem because their is no cross-linking between sites.

it's really a matter of time and resources. should i focus all energy on one site, even if it means being less targeted, or should I try to optimize all 20 individually, even if it means none will probably have a big PR.

troels nybo nielsen

7:39 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

WebmasterWorld Senior Member 10+ Year Member



chancet, it is really a matter of definition, what actually constitutes a "site". The smallest of my sites have 5-10 pages, and some people would definitely prefer to interprete them as closely related parts of one big site.

To put it short I think that you should treat your present websites as individual but closely related sites.

dougmcc1

8:41 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

10+ Year Member



I might suggest that you develop one of your websites into a small "portal" and then optimise the others for their individual products.

you should treat your present websites as individual but closely related sites

Agreed 100%.