What are the good strategies using satellite sites in SEO??

[sarenausa]

Hello to everybody,

We'are thinking about launching a massive amount of satellite websites in order to promote our website. Is it really efficient in terms of link building? Or is the ROI really small due to the amount of time and money needed to create and manage these websites?

Thanks a lot!!!

Update: Thanks to all of you for all these interesting answers!

[Websensejim]

Doing it this way is indeed pointless. But if you adjust the strategy a little, it can work very well.

What do I mean?  Instead of satellite sites (new domains with no link history, no trust or authority), create satellite pages on established authority domains (Web 2.0 sites, blog platforms, etc, youi know the ones I mean). It's all about the domains (domain authority, links from domains are more important than page metrics).

And don't just stop at one page. Publish multiple pages/articles on those authority sites.

Of course, you must also build links to your satellite pages

[EGOL]

Lots of people think... "I'll build fifty-five sites to kickass on my competitor because it will give me a shitload of backlinks."

Those backlinks are worth nothing.  You can't manufacture links.  Google is too smart for that.

They would be better off building a giant site that dominates the niche and THEN building satellite sites and powering them with links from the giant site.

[MBayes]

Mine too!

[EGOL]

Please call all of my competitors and sell them this service.

[MarieHaynes]

I think almost all of us have considered this strategy.  I know when I first started out I had a main niche and then I bought up a bunch of keyword rich domains and created microsites.  The thing is that these are rarely helpful at all.

A link from a site is only going to add significant value if that site itself is a good one in Google's eyes.  So, a link from a brand new site with no backlinks itself is not going to be worth much.  And, if this microsite is likely to accumulate natural backlinks, you'd get much more value if those backlinks were actually pointing to your main site.

The way I look at it is this - if you create links yourself, then they usually aren't worth much.  One of the main points of Google's evolving algorithm is trying to determine which links are worthy and which are not.  So, you'll find that self-made links are rarely helpful.

I'd put that time and effort into putting content on your main site and then alerting other webmasters of your awesome content.

[MBayes]

Very common Tactic.  I would say use your resources building great content on your main site, and you will see a better return.  The question you are asking really comes down to a point of view, and then math.

A bunch of sites, with little or no juice, will help a little.  A bunch of links back from Blogs. Sites, and social media will pay off big time if you can create the interesting content. Interesting is:

"something that concerns, involves, draws the attention of, or arouses the curiosity of a person"

So I would ask this question.  What is it you can do with the current web site that will create Interest.