Multible sites for one database - good idea?

I have a site with a number of sections. Its database driven. I get a good PR for some terms but not for others. Im thinking of creating a number of other sites for each section that I cover. So that each site specialses in one thing. The thinking is that a more specialist site will rank higher in search engines for relevant terms. The sites would draw from the same database and have different URLs and logos etc.

Is there any problem with doing this... could this be penalised by the search engines?

As long as the content is different than you shouldn't have any problems. Google can't penalize a site for usuing the same DB as Google only sees the page after it's compiled.

Static pages of each site would be different as they would be specific to the section, and faqs and other information could be changed around so that the pages are essentially different, but the content pulled from the database would essentially be the same, Ie for a given search the same page of product results could be pulled from the main site and the site specific to the section. However, I could manipulate the site specific to the section so that it pulls a larger or smaller number of results on each page so that the page that google sees is as a whole is different. Would this avoid being penalized or is this cutting it a bit fine?

My advice as what your doing is what I have done at onetime.

I have found, braking the site into sections work better then braking the site in domains. At one time I did have many domains for each subject, then one-day I 301'ed them all back to the main site and put each of the sites into a subsection(Theme). since then the main site has gained 1st-5th place ranking for all the words that I had been working so hard for in the past.

Also on the DB.. As your sites get big, and maybe one-day you will have many sites with lots of traffic... but remember more sites tapping the databese will slow down your server across all your sites.

Did you leave the many domains running as well as the main site with each subsection included from the many domains. My issue is that my main site is being beaten in PR by competitors that have been on the net a lot longer than I have and that perhapse by running specialist sites along side the main 'mother' site that I will maximise the possibility of customers finding my products.

Could you explain a little more by what you mean by: I 301'ed them all back to the main site and put each of the sites into a subsection(Theme) as this sounds like this amy be something that I could use.

I think this will help you with ‘theme’ thing. http://www.paysitemasters.com/search-engine-optimization/Google-SEO/117

301 is a method via htaccess to redirect something that is no longer their to a new location. Google will follow the 301 redirect to the new location and give all the credit to the new location that the old location had.

As for the sites that have been their a long time. Forget about them, just keep on building, adding content, building links and theme your website and you will outrank them one day!

If it's a user initiated search than thats fine as Google doesn't mess with search bars on a site. It can't enter info.



I meant to say CAN'T instead of CAN. I've edited my post above.

It would be a user initiated search within my site..... So if I change the search results parameters within my sub sites to say display 30 results as opposed to 20 on the main site then the pages pulled from the database will be diffrent to a certain degree and so avoid being penalized?

If it's user initiated than you dont have to worry about displaying different number of results because Google will never see those pages nor index them. Worry about the rest of the site and NOT the results. Google CAN'T initiate a search on your site because it's just a spider and spiders cant interact with forms.

Ah... thanks... I understand now.. luckily there is very little static content on my site so that wont be a problem to change for each sub site.. I think Ill set up one sub site and see how it goes... thanks..

it's a development issue, not a SEO issue. bot only see UI layer of an application. you gain some productivity by using one database doe multiple domains

Can you explain 'UI layer of an application'.... thanks...

Is it not a SEO issue also..... in terms of gaining more exposure with multiple domains with specialised content that will then rank higher than a larger site with all the specialised sections combined?