Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums

runningbird · 07-05-2009, 05:15 AM

I have a loose plan to build an online empire around "greening" homes because I have knowledge and experience in the field, but I am not sure how to merge my sites together. Let me explain exactly what I mean.

The topic is too broad to attack in one fell swoop. So, I thought I could design several domains to each deal with a topic within home efficiency/sustainability. As an example you can see the refrigerator site in my signature (still needs some work).

I will end up having many sub-keywords like refrigerator efficiency, wall insulation, low VOC materials, HVAC efficiency, and so on. When I eventually build all this I can link the sites together with hyperlinks. Easy enough.

BUT...when I want to make the main page for "green home" or "home efficiency" or the main, all encompassing keyword that the individual sites comprise, how will it have any credibility? It's main content would basically just be a few links and summaries to the "children" sites. See what I mean? Or is this not a good way to target a main keyword?

If you have taken a look at my site I would also appreciate any feedback. Overall bounce rate is 59% so I'm guessing it sucks in some way. It might be kind of ugly.

Thanks.

CoolBee · 07-08-2009, 02:54 PM

Maybe write a linking 'essay' to join all those links together?

Are you using individual domains or sub-domains? Why one not the other?

I think your refrigerator page looks nice and clean

What do you mean by bounce rate - people hit it and move off again within a few seconds? Where are they linking from?

Maybe put a little introductory paragraph at the top of your bits of fridge to the check list- I mean you hit people straight with 'condensor coils' - what's your target audience? Mrs Average SAHM might think - oh my - he's gone all technical on me. (Same as with algebra - kids can do it until you put an X there and then they can't).

Maybe something that along the lines of "the curly pipes at the side are known as condensor coils" and then launch in to it?

Maybe split it up into shorter pages? (I know someone's recommended I split my site down a bit into shorter pages) - no I don't know why either - but hey do you want people reading it or not?

PS - you don't really grab them at the top - what's the benefits of them doing all that? Maybe something like "Here's how you can save $50 a year and help the planet at the same time" - like this bit you put in your siggy "Taking 10 minutes now..." that should be on the top I would think!

You are selling a solution - who was it said, you aren't selling spades, you're selling holes.

StuartPE · 07-08-2009, 03:20 PM

Your site is too wide on my screen, 1280px and Firefox.

Anyway, merging into one would have the only benefit of making it easier to build links. There's not much point in having a broad topic, specialised always works better on the web.

runningbird · 07-09-2009, 06:08 PM

CoolBee - Thanks, I would probably write a few pages explaining the varoius topics included in my site. The page in my signature isn't really a sales page or attention grabber - it's just an information source because it's useful to know. However, after looking it over, I think you're right. It would be useful to put the explanation of them on top.

I feel like my pages are pretty short as is, and it's driving me crazy trying to get all of the links into a logical hierarchy. I'm gonna leave that one be.

As for domains, I am using individual; I only have this one site right now. Subdomains wouldn't work too well with this one. I guess I could make a mirror of this site under a new subdomain though.

StuartPE - it is slightly too wide for mine too. Just by a nanometer though.

If you can rank well for a broad topic, that translates into high traffic.

dave marshall · 07-10-2009, 09:45 PM

Hi,

why not just have one site with many pages, as long as you devote a apge to a couple of keyword/phrases terms it will be fine. Also I would add ablog and link the pages from the blog to the site and each relevant page/keyowrd, google loves that..

Dave

runningbird · 07-11-2009, 12:20 PM

Thanks for the tip - do you mean add a blog on the same site, or under a different site/domain?

07-05-2009, 05:15 AM	#1 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	Merging Sites? I have a loose plan to build an online empire around "greening" homes because I have knowledge and experience in the field, but I am not sure how to merge my sites together. Let me explain exactly what I mean. The topic is too broad to attack in one fell swoop. So, I thought I could design several domains to each deal with a topic within home efficiency/sustainability. As an example you can see the refrigerator site in my signature (still needs some work). I will end up having many sub-keywords like refrigerator efficiency, wall insulation, low VOC materials, HVAC efficiency, and so on. When I eventually build all this I can link the sites together with hyperlinks. Easy enough. BUT...when I want to make the main page for "green home" or "home efficiency" or the main, all encompassing keyword that the individual sites comprise, how will it have any credibility? It's main content would basically just be a few links and summaries to the "children" sites. See what I mean? Or is this not a good way to target a main keyword? If you have taken a look at my site I would also appreciate any feedback. Overall bounce rate is 59% so I'm guessing it sucks in some way. It might be kind of ugly. Thanks.

07-08-2009, 02:54 PM	#2 (permalink)
CoolBee Family Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 2,044	Maybe write a linking 'essay' to join all those links together? Are you using individual domains or sub-domains? Why one not the other? I think your refrigerator page looks nice and clean What do you mean by bounce rate - people hit it and move off again within a few seconds? Where are they linking from? Maybe put a little introductory paragraph at the top of your bits of fridge to the check list- I mean you hit people straight with 'condensor coils' - what's your target audience? Mrs Average SAHM might think - oh my - he's gone all technical on me. (Same as with algebra - kids can do it until you put an X there and then they can't). Maybe something that along the lines of "the curly pipes at the side are known as condensor coils" and then launch in to it? Maybe split it up into shorter pages? (I know someone's recommended I split my site down a bit into shorter pages) - no I don't know why either - but hey do you want people reading it or not? PS - you don't really grab them at the top - what's the benefits of them doing all that? Maybe something like "Here's how you can save $50 a year and help the planet at the same time" - like this bit you put in your siggy "Taking 10 minutes now..." that should be on the top I would think! You are selling a solution - who was it said, you aren't selling spades, you're selling holes. Last edited by CoolBee; 07-08-2009 at 03:01 PM. Reason: prolong the agony

07-10-2009, 09:45 PM	#5 (permalink)
dave marshall Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: England Posts: 360	site Hi, why not just have one site with many pages, as long as you devote a apge to a couple of keyword/phrases terms it will be fine. Also I would add ablog and link the pages from the blog to the site and each relevant page/keyowrd, google loves that.. Dave

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07-08-2009, 03:20 PM	#3 (permalink)
StuartPE Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 98	Your site is too wide on my screen, 1280px and Firefox. Anyway, merging into one would have the only benefit of making it easier to build links. There's not much point in having a broad topic, specialised always works better on the web.

07-09-2009, 06:08 PM	#4 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	CoolBee - Thanks, I would probably write a few pages explaining the varoius topics included in my site. The page in my signature isn't really a sales page or attention grabber - it's just an information source because it's useful to know. However, after looking it over, I think you're right. It would be useful to put the explanation of them on top. I feel like my pages are pretty short as is, and it's driving me crazy trying to get all of the links into a logical hierarchy. I'm gonna leave that one be. As for domains, I am using individual; I only have this one site right now. Subdomains wouldn't work too well with this one. I guess I could make a mirror of this site under a new subdomain though. StuartPE - it is slightly too wide for mine too. Just by a nanometer though. If you can rank well for a broad topic, that translates into high traffic.

07-11-2009, 12:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
runningbird Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 614	Thanks for the tip - do you mean add a blog on the same site, or under a different site/domain?

Personal Development for Smart PeopleTM Forums

Personal Development for Smart People^TM Forums