In an effort to improve the overall quality of its search results, Google has announced that it will start to launch ranking adjustments for doorway pages in search results.
Doorway pages are pages that exist for no other reason than to rank in search results. Some websites may create multiple doorway pages all ranking for the same term, which do not offer any unique value on their own because of the fact that the subject matter is similar, and they ultimately drive visitors back to the same place.
Here’s how Google explains it:
“For example, searchers might get a list of results that all go to the same site. So if a user clicks on one result, doesn’t like it, and then tries the next result in the search results page and is taken to that same site that they didn’t like, that’s a really frustrating experience.”
As a result of Google’s upcoming algorithm change, the search giant warns that long, well-established doorway campaigns might be broadly impacted.
If you’re not sure whether or not pages you’re creating count as doorway pages, the company suggests asking yourself a few questions:
- Is the purpose of the content to please search engines and funnel traffic into your site, or are they a vital part of your site’s user experience?
- Does the content deal with specific subject matter, yet is optimized for generic terms?
- Do the pages reproduce information located elsewhere on the site for purpose of drawing in more organic 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?” Can you easily find them 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?
If you’re still unsure of what a doorway page is, you can see Google’s full definition in its Quality Guidelines.
