I was checking my business web site's links in Google Webmaster Tools and noticed links from all these sites:
visitpensacola.com
fishinpensacola.com
movetopensacola.com
pensacoladiscounts.com
pensacolatraveldeals.com
relaxinpensacola.com
retiretopensacola.com
timeoutpensacola.com
The header script on all of the "landing" sites originate from visitpensacola.com and contain similar content. All site maps and navigation point back to visitpensacola.com. visitpensacola.com is the top result in a Google search for "pensacola" and deservedly so, as it is the tourism information site of the local Chamber, but I thought Google frowned on gateways like this. Or am I not understanding the concept?
\\// Robert
The grass is always greener on the other side -- but that's because they use more manure.
Megan posted this at 14:46—7th May 2007.
She has: 10,057 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
And they're all ranking and passing link value and everything? That's interesting, because there's been a lot of talk lately about how much Google dislikes duplicate content and how it's filters are putting a lot of sites into the supplementals. Based on everything I've read recently has indicated that sites like this wouldn't rank.
Megan
My web design blog
AyntRyte posted this at 23:56—7th May 2007.
He has: 145 posts
Joined: Jun 2004
Some of the landing sites had PR as high as 5 (the same as the main site), showing that Google has actually put some value on them.
Oh, and I left out:
explorepensacola.com
\\// Robert
The grass is always greener on the other side -- but that's because they use more manure.
Megan posted this at 13:10—8th May 2007.
She has: 10,057 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
Yes, but are they in the regular SERPS or the supplementals? I'll see what I can find out...
Megan
My web design blog
Megan posted this at 13:18—8th May 2007.
She has: 10,057 posts
Joined: Jun 1999
It looks to me like Visit Pensacola is the only one that is actually ranking. The others are in the supplmentals or not ranking at all. It looks to me like this strategy is hurting more than helping their rankings.
(Ranking meaning SERPs, not PR)
But I don't really know much about gateways either and what they think they're doing with all these other sites that are essentially identical to the main site...
Megan
My web design blog