Optimizing for a Network of Sites

I want to search engine optimize a network of state specific sites and I am wondering what is the best way to do this. I want to ensure that the sites are independently indexed and not viewed as a network of sites. The sites can be found at www.schoolsintheusa.com and can be accessed through the top drop down menu. I know that the sites are indexed by Google, but they don't even rank for the domain name key words, i.e. "schools in california". I plan to submit them to directories to improve PageRank and gain some links.

Thanks,

MWilliams

why don't you want them to appear as a network of sites?

If you don't want them to look like a "network" then why not put all of the content on a single domain? Then you can have lots of internal links pointing to your main state pages and have no worries about interlinking or how it "looks".

Id say setting up sites like that is borderline spam, they shouldnt all be unique sites, its just one site, I say lose the domains and go for folders, or better yet just a search feature for the onpage

The reason I don't want them to appear as one site is because each site is set up to appear as a different site for users in a specified state. Each state has different curriculum and content required. We are trying to figure out a better way to make use of theses sites.

Does anyone have further suggestions for this?

Thanks everyone,

mwilliams