Are these considered doorway pages?

Hi

If anyone could help me with this, It would be much appreciated!

I am looking to expand my site by adding pages that are optimized for
certain keywords.

I am just worried about being banned from the search engines, as my site has been running for
years and thats the last thing I need!


Lets say I am selling widgets:

If I have 20 different pages (eg. blue widgets, big widgets, small widgets etc. etc.)
and I optimise each page for that keyword, but still have real content about widgets,
which I have written, which will be different on every page - are those pages considered doorway pages by the search engines?

These pages will have the exact same look as the rest of my site.
(same banner at top, same navigation bar on right of page, same text, same layout etc.)

At this stage I want to point all these pages with interesting info on widgets to
my main widget page , where they read about my widget that I sell,
and then click through to the shopping cart.


To avoid looking like doorway pages to search engines:

1) Can I point all these new optimized pages to the main widget page
or is it better to point them straight to the order page?

2) How much content is needed on each page for it to not be considered a doorway page?

3) Is it a good idea to have these new pages created on a new domain,
in case the engines see them as doorway pages?
Will they then only ban the new domain that I create, and not my existing one?

Thank you in advance.

John

Hi John

I don't think you have anything to worry about here.

I would keep the targeted optimised pages on your current domain.
Also, it is benneficial (but time consuming) to create new domains with targetted content to your existing site.

General consensus is that 300 - 400 words is a good amount for a content page.

Also for SEO pointing them to the main widget page gives a better relevance but for conversion and usability poitning them to the order page is best. Why can't you do both? Why nto have full navigation on every page and on items that can be order have a order now button for users to click - that both jobs done! Also, make sure that you don't have any auphen pages (internal pages without any navigation).

Hope this is helpful

Trev

Thank you for your quick response and advice!

A much better idea - having them choose to either go to the order page
or the main widget page!

If I may ask

RE: auphen pages -

Lets say I dont want people to see the blue widget page, if they are on
the white widget page.
If all of these NEW pages have navigation to the MAIN pages on my site,
but not to each other, is that ok?
Would I need a sitemap?
If so, can it be a tiny link, at the bottom of my hompage for example?

Thank you again, your speed impresses me!!

John