Difficult to pinpoint competitive differences

[Resolute]

Hi moz,

Im currently working with a client that has a number of affiliates that work under similar URLs but operate independently. For example I work with client.com and we are concerned about SEO and ranking competition from affilate1.client.com, affiliate2.client.com etc. As it stands right now, the domain client.com has a higher DA, the homepage has a higher PA, and the equity passing links, both internal and external are much higher as well as number of linking domains, yet for whatever reason for many of the keywords we attempt to optimize for, the smaller affiliates often rank higher.

The only things ive been able to pinpoint is that affiliate1.client.com has a spam score of 2 (rather than 4, for client.com) and the homepage has more total links. External anchor text is pretty branded across the web so i can't imagine it playing into keyword associations. Lastly the sites are constructed and appear very similar so basic on page keyword best practices have been taken care of.

We worry that because affiliate.client.com has been at the SEO game longer, in addition to Google only linking two sites from a domain per search, we will never be able to rank for the keywords we want to rank for.

How else can I go about a competitive analysis if I've taken into account everything said above?

Any help will be very appreciated.

[Resolute]

They have very, very similar content. Essentially its the same save for some differences due to the region differences.

[EGOL]

Do these competing pages have identical or very similar content ?

[Resolute]

Ok to get a little more specific, our client is a telecommunications company but let me still refer to them as client.com. There exist a series of regional sites such as region1.client.com, region2.client.com etc which i guess function as subdomains of client.com.

Our client is specifically client.com not the regional versions so all of our SEO efforts go to ranking client.com

For a given generic, yet important keyword, say "internet," a page on region1.client.com will rank higher than client.com, or sometimes client.com will not rank at all (which may be because of Google's two page rule)

Given all of the information i mentioned above (client.com having a higher PA, more backlinks, etc.) I cannot figure out why this ranking is happening

Please let me know if that clarifies

[EGOL]

Getting very specific so there is no time spent explaining things that do not apply....

I need an example of the keywords that apply here.   For example, if you sell flooring and have ten other branches.... is the problem that one of the branches outranks the main domain for keywords such as "oak flooring" but they are ranking appropriately for "oak flooring pittsburgh"

[EGOL]

"Affiliate" is a name used for a person outside of your company who sells your products.

Are you talking about "branch offices" or "franchise locations" ?

[Resolute]

Hi,

Thank you for your passionate response, however now im feeling as if "affiliate" was a touchy word. If client.com is who I am working SEO for, then north.client.com is a regional branch of the same company. However that subdomain outranks the mother tree on many keywords, and wouldn't it be better to navigate from the trunk to branches rather than directly to a branch and not be able to find your way back?

Im just trying to understand what other factors may be playing into the observed ranks when all of the metrics I get from Moz's (awesome) tools would suggest otherwise

[EGOL]

Affiliates are some of the smartest people on the web -- especially the ones who have survived after Google took a disliking to them a few years ago.   They are really good at optimization and they often have strong websites.

As soon as you invite affiliates into your business model you invite competition, smart competition, really smart competition.  Most of the time affiliates are so good at what they do that they have no problem defeating the manufacturer, publisher, program site, or whoever offered to pay them to help produce sales.   They live and breathe, SEO, optimzation, rankings, traffic, conversions, etc.  The program people are usually busy doing other work and generally don't have the time or the smarts to outdo the affiliate.

How else can I go about a competitive analysis

I've been an affiliate for about 20 years.  I've sold lots of stuff for lots of businesses.   The best situation for me and for the people who pay me is when they value me as a member of their team.  I am still with the first program that I joined but many many others have come and gone.  What's the difference?   The one that I am still with after 20 years values their affiliates as members of their team.  They rejoice about the success of the affiliates and enjoy the rain that they make. Even thought they live 2000 miles from me I have been to their homes and to their offices for strategy meetings.  I have given them opinions and advice on their products to make them easier to sell.  I advise them on how to tweak the checkout process to increase sales.   They know my kids and I know theirs.  I consider them among my best friends and I am among theirs.  Maybe your affiliates can become this valuable to you.

As soon as you start restricting affiliates, maneuvering around them, or giving them a reason to think that you view them with contempt they will start looking for another program.  The last thing that you want is for them to start working for your competitor.  They can be valuable members of your team, much more than animals who drag in kill for you.

It's not much different than a manufacturer or publisher allowing others to sell your physical products.  Actually, most manufacturers and publishers have a higher profit margin from sales produced by affiliates than by resellers.

Affiliates are one of the most effective ways of challenging your competitors... but at the same time there will be some damage done to your own direct sales.    You will always be hit with some friendly fire.  Competition in search engines works that way.

It sounds like you might have your affiliates on a subdomain.  I would probably allow them to use their own websites.  I would even offer to redirect the subdomains to their websites as long as they continue to sell my products.  Honestly, I would not work on a subdomain because I don't want to work building my fortress on another person's land.

If you have some awesome smart people selling your products, bring them in to closer collaboration.  This isn't going to work with every affiliate but when you find one or two or a few like that the cooperation can benefit everyone.