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Approaches/thoughts/questions that come to mind, by no means definitive...
- 50 (sets of) internal pages (not orphans), each one targeted for a specific state. Major problem is creating 50 (sets of) pages that don't duplicate content. Assuming several sets of targets for each states, and that's a lot of pages.
- If target phrases are very competitive, then 50 domains or subdomains each targeting the same set of phrases. Again, the duplicate content problem and the sheer number of pages becomes intimidating.
Also, the ideal would be to get each domain/subdomain its own directory listing (assume ODP for budgetary reasons), but is this likely to be granted? The entry forms and database returns for such a site (if the site is dynamic) are usually not separable into multiple domains... so these would be common, and I can see directories rejecting the multiple listings for this reason... that they'd all obviously be doorways into a main site.
Am I missing something obvious about how to do this?
Okay, I'll try. :)
>- 50 (sets of) internal pages (not orphans), each one targeted for a specific state. Major problem is creating 50 (sets of) pages that don't duplicate content. Assuming several sets of targets for each states, and that's a lot of pages.
Unless each is very content-rich (and not templated), such pages are apt to be seen as useless at best and spam at worst by directory editors. Real estate sites are famous for using this tactic, and are relegated to one listing in ODP for precisely this reason. Other industries do it as well, and it's frowned on by most ODP editors, and although I don't know first-hand about other directories, I have talked to a Yahoo editor or two socially, and they agreed with the annoyance factor of such submissions.
>- If target phrases are very competitive, then 50 domains or subdomains each targeting the same set of phrases. Again, the duplicate content problem and the sheer number of pages becomes intimidating.
Perhaps a bit better, but still risky, IMHO, for the same reasons.
(I didn't post this earlier, because you basically outlined the idea.)
What I've done in the past is have the client go into detail about what they offer for each state (or region, county, city, etc.) so that the keywords are naturally there in abundance. Note, I do not have them do a page for each state (or region, county, city, etc.), as that could be viewed in an ugly manner.
Then let the search engines take over, and for directories, submit to the largest area -- i.e., under "nationwide," "regional," etc.
(I hope that was clear... )
Of course, I do not use traditional doorway pages, as they're generally a lot of work and fraught with danger and the same results can be obtained by other means. I also make my clients do a lot of work. This may not be the case for other SEOs.*
*Jeez, I hate that term. It's not descriptive of the job. But it's all we have, I suppose.
When I talk about the various sites being "doorways into the main site," I'm obviously not talking about traditional doorway pages... but rather sites focused by state, aiming for regional listings. I completely understand why the directories wouldn't accept these unless they did contain substantial unique content.
If they were content rich sites, worthy of inclusion on their own, would linking to a common database, booking engine, reservations page, or whatever, disqualify them for separate directory listings?
Frankly, it's a crapshoot, at least where ODP is concerned. :(
Being that it's up to each individual editor to evaluate whether a listing adds value to teh directory, and given the fact that ODP has been spammed to death with such things, my guess would be that be rejected in more categories than it would be accepted in.
An editor working in, say, 10 localities in one state might see your submission for the 5th time and declare it spam based on the fact that it looks like 4 others s/he has just reviewed. That's not to say it's a correct call, just that it is a probable call.
You might have better luck with smaller localities, simply because those are starving for listings. The editor for Loving, Texas, would be more likely to add one of your pages than the editor for Houston.
An excellent (in my opinion) article about deeplinking in ODP can be found here: DMOZ Newsletter for May of last year [dmoz.org].
However, as you can see, it's still a crapshoot. :(
Well, I've certainly been talking to the right person.... It's an excellent article in my opinion too. Just for the record, the article is called "To Deeplink or Not To Deeplink;" it was written by Laisha; and it should be read by everyone considering a deep-link submission to ODP. It even answers a bunch of questions... about things like site ownership and business models... that I've had in mind but was afraid to ask. ;) I'm wondering whether Yahoo is equally open-minded about site ownership.
Thanks again....
