Google’s John Mueller answered whether or not having two websites might negatively have an effect on search rankings. His reply is surprisingly relevant to other ways of deciphering the query.
Can Having Two Websites Have an effect on Rankings?
An individual submitted a query to Google the place they needed to know if having two websites might negatively have an effect on their rankings. The query as reproduced in Google is concise and likewise a little bit imprecise which ends up in the end result that the query may be answered in approach that’s completely different from the way in which that Mueller answered it.
That is the query:
“My rankings have dropped as a result of Google discovering out I’ve two web sites. Is that this right?”
Google’s John Mueller answered:
“No. That’s not going. Many individuals have a number of web sites. Separate web sites will not be an issue.
The difficulty is usually extra oblique: in the event you work on a number of web sites, you’re not going to have a number of time to make actually superior web sites all over the place. And, in the event you’re making web sites that aren’t superior, then that may be one thing which our algorithms decide up on relating to recommending your website to others.”
A Completely different Means To Reply The Query
John Mueller answered the query underneath the belief that the 2 websites within the query are on completely different matters. He prefaced his reply by saying that many “individuals have a number of web sites” which is true.
However many individuals don’t have a number of web sites on the identical subject. The individual asking the query was imprecise about whether or not the websites have been about completely different matters, too.
It’s very potential that the websites are on the identical subject, during which case it is sensible why they might be involved that Google discovered concerning the two websites as a result of it might be seen as making an attempt to recreation Google. In any case, who worries about having a number of websites on completely different matters?
If the websites have been on the identical subject then the reply to the query is considerably completely different.
One of many vital issues when one individual controls a number of websites on the identical subject is that they’re doing it for rating functions which isn’t a very good start line for any web site.
I’m not saying there’s one thing corrupt concerning the observe however I’m saying that it’s probably not the very best start line for creating indicators of high quality. It’s not a matter of somebody pondering that they’re going to create a number of top quality websites for customers, proper?
Another excuse why individuals create a number of websites for rating (and never high quality) is as a result of individuals really feel in the event that they cut up up a subject into subsidiary subtopics they’ll create stronger websites about these associated subtopics versus one website with a number of associated subtopics.
However what nearly inevitably occurs is that they wind up working a number of associated websites that might be stronger collectively as one authoritative web site.
I requested Invoice Hartzer of Hartzer Consulting (Fb profile) if he thought a number of websites on the identical subject might have an effect on rankings.
Invoice agreed with me and shared:
“Lots of people, after constructing a web site that ranks effectively, will assume that they’ll merely create one other web site on the identical subject and “make double the cash” or get “double the site visitors” and it’s merely not true.
Firms can even have one primary web site, however they’ll create a separate web site on a separate area title for every of their services or products. Over the previous 10 years or so, that hasn’t been a very good technique. Whereas it’s good to register the domains of your services or products, it’s higher to mix all these web sites into one primary, extra authoritative web site.
Sometimes in the event that they’re on the identical subject, one web site, the unique website, will proceed to rank effectively. However the second web site doesn’t rank as effectively. Normally, it’s at all times higher to mix the web sites into one web site.”
A number of Websites And Rankings
John Mueller is correct that publishing a number of websites (on completely different matters) might compromise an individual’s means to give attention to one website to make it excellent, remarking that there’s an oblique destructive impact on rankings. He’s additionally right in saying that it’s unlikely to have a direct destructive impact on rankings.
Altering the query as to if there’s an impact on rating if the a number of websites are on the identical subject, then the reply turns into extra nuanced however comply with an analogous trajectory as Mueller’s unique reply that it detracts from with the ability to create one excellent website and may result in an individual creating a number of middling websites.
However that’s not essentially a foregone conclusion when an individual is creating a number of websites on completely different matters. It’s completely potential to create a number of websites on completely different matters and to achieve success at it. It is perhaps laborious for one individual alone to tug it off nevertheless it’s not troublesome to do when a number of persons are engaged on the web sites creating content material and specializing in promotion.
Watch/hearken to the Google search engine marketing Workplace hours on the 33 second mark:
Featured Picture by Shutterstock/Asier Romero
