multiple websites

I run a local shop around a metro area. I have a question maybe you can help me out with. I have a website that does great with google adwords. I want to make 20 different websites targeted at 20 different cities/keywords around the area. One question I have is on the morality or legality of it. Basically I'll have 20 different websites with 20 different keyword rich urls. All with hidden registration info, not false info.

If I have 20 different websites that have different addresses and contact information but the phone numbers are all forwarded to me, is that illegal in some way? Everything is fair in love, war and business but I wont do anything illegal. Any help would be appreciated!

I could do a dba name addition if that makes it legal with the state.

I do this on a small scale, and have no problems with it, just use different contact info for the sites and you should be fine. I routinely build a site for a customer, then another targeting an aspect of his business, then another targeting a new aspect, and so on.

Wont the other sites be seen as duplicates and therefore ranked lower, with less traffic, and less money from adsense? I was thinking about making a site for a niche i found with another similar EMD available but don't want to have to make all new content...I guess I have to though...

adsense isnt really what i'm looking to do. maybe adwords. I get conversions when the customer calls. If i can have a lot of different websites that all forward to my office number I would dominate. I hope. I just dont want it to be illegal.

Finxx,

Your strategy is not illegal and would be comparable to opening up multiple store fronts. I don't think there is anything morally wrong with this either as long as you aren't trying to deceive or cheat people. If you offer great content, services, products on all of your sites, this seems fine.

I would just be careful to make unique content on all of your different properties so that you don't get hit with duplicate content problems.

Here is an interesting article on having multiple websites,

http://www.seobook.com/should-you-have-multiple-websites

Here is another good piece on the subject,

http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com/google-multiple-websites/

Hope that helps,

Shawn

It's not illegal but Google will ban your arse if they pick up on the fact your trying to use adwords on different sites for the same business. Is that what you mean your trying to do? If it's just for organice traffic then yes it's an option but again Google will consider the new sites "doorway" pages which they don't like. It's unlikely they would catch you themselves, it's more your competitors you have to worry about.

Thanks! Thats great news! I'll write a lot of different content on each just to make sure. Every customer I've had (knock on wood) have given us glowing reviews. I feel like it would be a disservice to let them go to a competitor and the customer not experience what we have to offer

Also, Why would I worry about the competition? Thanks again!

finxx said:

Also, Why would I worry about the competition? Thanks again!

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Because they will be the first ones to dob you in if your doing anything you shouldn't be doing according to Google. Don't underestimate how jealous competitors can become of your online marketing startegies. I recently had a competitior who couldnt handle the fact I was out ranking them blast my site with xrumer blog crap. It happens.

Just make sure you don't link any of them to each other in any way and you should be fine.

Many places will make separate sites for say blue widget, green widget and red widget. Provided the content on each site is useful and unique and provides something for the end user you should be ok.
As has already been mentioned they do frown upon kw rich doorway sites ranking high and with a deliberate attempt to deceive the end user and send them to another site. In any event where this may have worked in the past, it is unlikely to now.

You say you intend to use Adwords in your business model. This means you will be passing revenue to google and no matter how much of a monopoly they are they do not cut their dicks off to spite their face.

Yeah, I'm not really worried about the competition. Just the customers. I have so little time to invest and I have marketing, servicing, parts ordering, sales, customer service, invoicing, bookkeeping, general business admin, etc. I wish I had time to worry about the competition.

Thanks Geezer, What I'm trying to do is have 7 websites for "blue widget", 7 websites for "red widget" and 7 websites for "green widget". Each website is going to have a completely different theme, completely different content, completely different address and phone number. The only way the SEO's would be able to know if it was all the same person is if they call the "fake" websites number which is forwarded to my main business line. I dont really see that as cheating or illegal. Hope not.

Same principle as the grocery store. Take cheese for example. If you go to the cheese isle you will see 10-20 different manufacturers of cheese. What people dont realize is that it's all made from the same 3 manufacturers. Kraft, Kellogg, or land-o-lakes. All the other brands are just dummy brands that flow into the same bank account.

Or sunglasses. You ever buy any of these glasses?

Arnette
Eye Safety Systems
K&L
Mosley Tribes
Oakley
Oliver Peoples
Persol
Ray-Ban
Revo
Sferoflex
Vogue
Anne Klein
Brooks Brothers
Bulgari
Burberry
Chanel
Chaps
Coach
Dolce and Gabbana
DKNY
Donna Karan eyewear
Miu Miu
Polo Ralph Lauren
Prada
Ralph Lauren Purple Label
Paul Smith
Stella McCartney
Tiffany & Co.
Tory Burch
Versace



Then chances are your glasses were made by Luxottica. Nobody really knows and as long as their getting a great product with great service, nobody really cares too much. Just trying to see if that model works for my industry.

Thanks for all of your input. When I make google local account with each website should I use a different computer or just delete the cookies and swap the external IP address via modem reset? I'm not sure what google records. Do they know your information to a point where they can detect the same computer created all accounts or should I do each one in a virtual operating system? Will I be good with just a cookie deletion and IP address renew? Please let me know, thanks!

ok180 said:

It's not illegal but Google will ban your arse if they pick up on the fact your trying to use adwords on different sites for the same business.

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and you don't want that!