Google’s Huge Doorway Pages SEO Update

Google just released a new SEO update, and we believe this will create a huge impact on how SEO will be practiced from here on. Everyone in the world of SEO was taken by surprise by the announcement and Webmasters, SEO Companies and specialists are now poised to scramble for adjustments to keep up with the latest guidelines from the tech giant, which is expected to take effect in the coming days. Google calls it an “Update on Doorway Pages”.

Doorway Pages, What are they?

Sites or pages created for the purpose of achieving high ranking on specific search queries are called Doorways. These Doorways can give users a bad and very frustrating experience because it leads them to a host of similar pages in search results with each result taking the user to the same site or destination. For instance, if a searcher types in a search query he will find a listing of multiple results that actually go to a single site, getting out of the site and clicking on the next search result would only bring him back to the same site, which is frustrating, discouraging and annoying. It also leads users to “intermediate pages” which are essentially useless and unrelated to what the users are actually looking for. Misleading is a good way to describe these Doorways.

Google currently defines Doorways as:

• Having multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page
• Pages generated to funnel visitors into the actual usable or relevant portion of your site(s)
• Substantially similar pages that are closer to search results than a clearly defined, browseable hierarchy
  
  

Google is set to launch a new ranking system feature designed to address (or eliminate) the problems brought about by Doorways. The ranking adjustment is set to address these Doorway Pages, and sites or businesses with large and established doorway operations will be greatly affected by this change. It could spell SEO doom for some but it can also level the playing field for companies that don’t adhere to using Doorways and deception tactics for gains.

Google released a set of questions to ask, which can be useful guidelines for webmasters who want to implement necessary changes and corrective measures, for sites that can be considered as Doorway Pages:

• Is the purpose to optimize for search engines and funnel visitors into the actual useable or relevant portion of your site, or are they an integral part of your sites user experience?
• Are the pages intended to rank on generic terms yet the content presented on the page is very specific?
• Do the pages duplicate useful aggregations of items (locations, products, etc.) that already exist on the site for the purpose of capturing more search traffic?
• Are these pages made solely for drawing affiliate traffic and sending users along without creating unique value in content or functionality?
• Do these pages exist as an “island”? Are they difficult or impossible to navigate to or from other parts of your site? Are links to such pages from other pages within the site or network of sites created just for search engines?
  
  

Author: Todd Johnson

Australian Website Development
*Source: Google Webmaster Central Blog, “An update on doorway pages” posted Monday, 16^th of March 2015.