Google’s John Mueller addressed the potential impact of having two websites on search rankings. His response is notably relevant to various interpretations of the query.
A user posed a query to Google, asking if maintaining two websites could harm their search rankings. The question, as presented on Google, is brief yet somewhat ambiguous, allowing for responses that diverge from Mueller’s initial answer.
This is the question:
“My rankings have dropped due to Google finding out I have two websites. Is this correct?”
Google’s John Mueller answered:
“No. That’s not likely. Many people have several websites. Separate websites are not a problem.
The issue is often more indirect: if you work on a lot of websites, you’re not going to have a lot of time to make truly awesome websites everywhere. And, if you’re making websites that aren’t awesome, then that can be something which our algorithms pick up on when it comes to recommending your site to others.”
John Mueller tackled the question assuming that the two websites mentioned were on distinct subjects. He introduced his response by acknowledging that many individuals manage multiple websites, a fact he affirmed. However, not everyone maintains multiple websites covering diverse topics. The individual posing the question was vague about whether their sites were indeed about different subjects.
It’s plausible that these sites address the same topic. In such a scenario, concerns about Google discovering these sites could arise, potentially viewed as an attempt to manipulate search results. After all, why worry about managing multiple sites on varied subjects?
If these sites indeed share the same topic, the answer to the question takes on a different aspect. An important factor to consider when one individual oversees multiple sites on identical subjects is the intention behind it, often driven by a desire to manipulate rankings. This approach isn’t ideal for any website’s foundation.
Another reason for creating multiple sites primarily for ranking purposes (rather than quality) is the belief that by breaking down a topic into subtopics, they can create stronger sites focused on those specific subtopics rather than having one site covering multiple related areas.
However, what often occurs is the management of multiple related sites that could potentially be more robust if combined into a single authoritative website.
There is an inquiry with Bill Hartzer from Hartzer Consulting about his thoughts on how multiple sites on the same topic might impact rankings.
Bill agreed with me and shared:
“A lot of people, after building a website that ranks well, will think that they can simply create another website on the same topic and “make double the money” or get “double the traffic” and it’s simply not true.
Companies will also have one main website, but they’ll create a separate website on a separate domain name for each of their products or services. Over the past 10 years or so, that hasn’t been a good strategy. While it’s good to register the domain names of your products or services, it’s better to combine all those websites into one main, more authoritative website.
Typically if they’re on the same topic, one website, the original site, will continue to rank well. But the second website doesn’t rank as well. In most cases, it’s always better to combine the websites into one website.”
John Mueller’s point about having multiple sites (on various subjects) potentially diluting one’s ability to excel with a single site is valid; he notes an indirect negative impact on rankings. He also rightly states that there’s unlikely to be a direct negative effect on rankings.
When considering the impact on rankings with multiple sites covering the same topic, the answer becomes more nuanced but aligns with Mueller’s view that it hampers the creation of an outstanding site, often resulting in multiple average-quality sites.
However, this isn’t necessarily inevitable when managing multiple sites on diverse topics. Success is achievable in such scenarios, especially when there’s a collaborative effort with multiple individuals generating content and focusing on promotion across the websites.
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