Google Showing Different SERP in Preview Tool

[James Peterson]

Hello All,

One of my client promoting same product with TWO different MODEs, like One is "online" and other one is "DVD" variation under the Same Brand with TWO different Websites with same class C IP address by targeting almost the same keywords (Moved to Same class C IP from Last 4 weeks). Because it's not possible to promote them under one website, please understand that.

Like: Courses selling through ONLINE and same in DVD versions.

From Last 3 to 4 weeks we are SEEING consistently drop in positions to main ONLINE product website, So Google treating it as NEGATIVE? promoting same keywords with same brand with Two different websites?

Please advice us.

Help us out.

[edited by: tedster at 10:55 am (utc) on Jul 24, 2012]
[edit reason] no keywords or domains, please [/edit]

[Str82u]

If the only main differences between the on page text are "online" and "DVD" then my opinion is it's going to be duplicate content, much like having pages for T-Shirts of different material and sizes but they have the same message on them.

EDIT: spelling

[Robert Charlton]

Hi James Peterson - Particularly if the two sites share a large percentage of inbound link sources, it's likely that Google will treat the sites, if otherwise identical, as dupe content.

...with same class C IP address...

And do the sites interlink? Probably the worst of all worlds if they do.

So Google treating it as NEGATIVE? promoting same keywords with same brand with Two different websites?

Yes, to Google, this probably looks like low-rent spam... taking the line of least resistance by sharing the same hosting account. Even if the content is somewhat different, having shared hosting, overlapping targeting, and shared link sources are the "least effort" things a spammer might do.

Because it's not possible to promote them under one website, please understand that.

I'd do a lot of work to come up with a solution to offer both on one site. If it's not possible, then you're faced with the very difficult task of creating two entirely separate and different approaches to promote essentially the same product, with completely independent everything. In my experience, it's not easy to do.