In a bid to bring minimize the impact of web spam on internet users, Google has announced the launch of a new doorway page penalty algorithm.
Doorways pages are created in order to rank highly for specific queries. Google is of the view that these pages are created merely for search engines and that they harm the user-experience. They do this by leading the users to multiple similar pages in user search results, and each of this result takes the user to the same destination. There are also cases when users are taken to intermediate pages which are of little use as the final destination to the user.
Usually doorway pages and landing pages are confused as one and the same. But this is not the case. While a landing page is loaded with useful information for the user, doorway page is used by the owners of the website to push their site rank for a particular keyword or key phrase. This way a doorway page tricks the user into coming to the site by showing unrelated information in the search results.
Some of the best examples of doorways are:
- Pages which are generated to funnel visitors into the actual usable or relevant portions of the website
- Multiple domain names/ pages which are targeted at specific regions/ cities that funnel the users to one page
- Greatly similar pages which are closer to search results than a clearly defined, browseable hierarchy
The main aim of Google’s new algorithm is to maximize the search footprint by creating pages internally on the existing websites and externally on the web. This way all the multiple pages in the search results will lead to the same destination. Also the new algorithm will impact the doorway pages by stalling their search footprint and their by effect the website’s rankings.
In order to make a clear distinction between a landing page and a doorway page, Google recommends website owners to be clear on the below given questions.
Are the pages intended to rank on generic terms yet the content presented on the page is very specific?
Is the purpose to optimize for search engines and funnel visitors into the actual usable or relevant portion of your site, or are they an integral part of your site’s 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 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?
The exact date of the launch of the new algorithm is yet to be declared. This surely is an appreciable move by Google and will help users get an improved web experience.
