Request for opinion Google dropped all but one page.

Three domains pointed at the same IP lost all but one page.

[patdwolf]

Who I am:
I am a networking consultant that has done some work with websites over the past few years. I built a network for a client including a server that hosts their three domains. I did not build the site for them originally, but as the consultant, I am the one they turn to for advice.

Environment:
The three domains all point at the same IP address (and the same starting index.html page) on a local server (IIS). There are no spamming techniques used on any of the pages. The menus are javascript based, though there are still html links that provide navigation through a sitemap (and most all of these pages were indexed before the recent drop).

The problem:
The owner of the small business noticed that none of the pages were displaying when either googling the company name or his own name. I searched and found the index page listed only for one of the domains. All of the other pages that were previously indexed are no longer.

Possible causes that I've thought of (but could be wrong):
Something to do with the multiple doamin hosting is making Google think they are trying to spam the engine? I'm really stumped. All three domains were indexed before and now they're just gone. Even with the one page still showing in G, entering the company name as search text is not coming up with a result for that particular page.

Questions:
Am I missing something obvious for the reason why this has happened? Does anyone have a sound game-plan for getting these pages listed for at least the company name?

I have had some experience with web marketing in the past to keep me afloat while in school, but the rules have changed a bit since I was in the game (Google was not the leader if that tells you anything). I look to others that are still in the thick of things to help a lending hand if they will.

Thank you in advance for any possible help.

Patrick.

[anallawalla]

Welcome to Webmasterworld!

The three domains all point at the same IP address (and the same starting index.html page) on a local server (IIS). There are no spamming techniques used on any of the pages.

I am not sure I understand the situation. This customer has 3 domains living on one IP address. So far, so good. You say they all share one common index.html. Gets risky here. What about the rest of the sites? Totally different content? Same content done as copies of pages, or just one physical web site with two other domains aliased to it?

If there is only set of pages, set up the two lesser domains as permanent redirects (lots of discussions here on how to) to the main domain. Write to [e-mail] and tell him how sorry you are, and you will find that domain reinstated (in my experience).

If the situation is something else, please explain.

[JayC]

Besides the duplicate content possibility (and why would Google want the same index page to show up as three different URLs?), another thing to consider is whether there may have been a connectivity problem with that server that might have prevented Google from spidering. You could check for that in the logs, and if it is the source of the problem the pages should reappear in the index after they are next spidered successfully.

[dirkz]

Welcome to Webmasterworld!

If all three domains point to the same webspace you should use 301 redirects.

There are several good threads on this topic here.

[patdwolf]

All excellent suggestions. I will look into the 301 redirects and suggest this as an option.

Also - from some other recent symptoms, it looks as if DNS was an issue for two of the domains (which may lend credence to JayC's possible theory of a connectivity issue).

The connection itself is very sturdy - I think the DNS may have been the culprit.

Thanks for the input folks. It was very valuable, and I will search more on the topic(s).

Regards,
Patrick.