Would this work and is it allowed?

[hairycornflakes]

ok i get the concept that if a site that is highly optimised for a keyword you are targeting links to your site it is better than 10 links from non related sites (correct me if i am wrong!).

if i were to make 5 similar sites all around the same keywords and link them all to each other, would they all rank well? Would google know they are all on the same hosting?

just curious...

hc

[tbp]

Yes, it can definately help setting up a number of related sites and then cross linking.

Have a read of Affi's guides, as this is one of the techniques he talks about in detail.

Details to sign up (for free) are on his blog at:

Affi Liate Marketing For Numpty Beginners

[cycloneuk]

It's never a bright idea to build multiple sites and link them all togeather when they are hosted on the same server, its just asking for a google penalty imo.

[Stavros]

It's up for debate, and I don't claim to be an expert but here's my 0.02p. Linking between multiple websites on the same server is known as link bombing and can incur a Google penalty if you're not careful. As cyclone said it's generally considered a bad idea. Having said that there are ways to go around link building in this way which can be successful and go undetected as tbp said.
I see this as a short term strategy though, as eventually Google are going to twig. But then I know of people who've been doing this successfully for several years, so who knows.

[hairycornflakes]

thanks for your replies guys

are you able to share what these "ways to go around link building in this way which can be successful and go undetected"?

hc

[Stavros]

Originally Posted by Stavros there are ways to go around link building in this way which can be successful and go undetected

Actually I think 'undetected' probably puts a bit of a negative spin on this technique since the aim is to build up a network of interlinked websites that have quality content and do actually add value to the user experience.
Affi's SEO guide is as good a place as any to start. You'll need to drop him and email to get hold of it... Affi Liate Marketing For Numpty Beginners

[hairycornflakes]

another question for you seo geniuses!

if i have 100 links from one site, is that any better than having one link from that site?

meaning if i have a link in my sig on a forum, and have 100 posts, is that better than just one link from a post?

hc

[Stavros]

Take a look at this thread at webmasterworld...

Multiple links from the same site - good or bad?

Might answer some of your questions.

Stavros Stavrosserson

[hairycornflakes]

thanks for the link

doesnt seem to harm having a link in sig then i dont think

[tbp]

There are perfectly legitimate reasons for linking between sites, even if they are all on the same server. For example, many large businesses have a main website, and then a number of micro sites for promotional campaigns etc.

As long as you create a decent site, with decent content, you should be ok and not incur a penalty. You need to look at each site as a single unit, and act as if that site was the only one you were creating and optimizing accordingly. You can then link them together after.

Theres a big difference between a number of decent websites, all in the same area, but each one dedicated to a subject, and a load of spammy sites trying to game google. Again, optimise your sites, but create them for your users rather than for the search engines and you should be fine.

[Affi Liate]

Originally Posted by cycloneuk It's never a bright idea to build multiple sites and link them all togeather when they are hosted on the same server, its just asking for a google penalty imo.

cra*p imho