Microsites and SEO – A Match Made in Heaven or Hell

9 out of 10 SEOs will always tell you that a microsite is a false economy, which, by and large, is true. Whilst there may be certain circumstances where microsites will seem like the suitable option, it is rarely the case that a microsite will reap greater SEO benefits than having all your content on one authoritative site.

Though there are compelling arguments on either side of the divide, it always seems to come down to one vital aspect: the difference between long term and short term success. A quick fix or a sturdy basis with which your website may stand the test of time (and Google's algorithms).

Those who champion the microsite cause focus largely on one integral element; the KID strategy. The keyphrase in domain approach maintains that the search engines' preferential treatment of those sites whose domain matches the keyphrase query exactly is a primary means of SE success.

Whilst this is true, it is not enough to simply rank well for one or two keyphrases as they appear within your URL. This is not cost efficient, nor is it good SEO practice. So, not only will you not rank well for all generic keyphrases (i.e. all those which do not appear within the domain), but the cost of performing well for those few domain matching keywords will likely outweigh the revenue generated.

One area in which microsite development may contribute to a successful marketing campaign is in the world of PPC. Theoretically, microsites could produce considerably higher clickthrough rates due to the higher relevancy to specific search terms. As a result, costs per click would fall, and conversion rates would rise.

However, it could be argued that such a PPC campaign would work as effectively, if not more so* for a large site (*as a well established site the latter will have accrued historical value from past PPC campaigns). If there was one arena in a microsite could truly excel though, it would be PPC. The ability to target certain keyphrases with greater specificity is a great boon for pay per click experts.

Though there may be certain applications or circumstances in which a microsite would make sense for digital marketers, the evidence points clearly in the other direction. From increased maintenance and domain registration costs, to an increased demand for unique content, the level of time, effort, and money required to develop an SEO friendly microsite will usually outweigh any potential return.

If you would like to promote or inform on a given topic which is somewhat detached from your main site and the content thereon, there are various alternatives to creating a whole new site. With the growing significance of social media in a business context, Facebook-based promotions can be an effective alternative, providing a great way not only to market a new product or service, but to encourage users to discover and engage with your company on a more casual level.

Rather than creating a microsite focused on providing expert information or advice on a specific subject, why not create an expert blog on your main site. This provides the information you want to get across, whilst both benefiting from and contributing to the site's domain value.

Taking the microsite route is akin to starting from scratch in searchengineland (the imaginary place, not the SEO authority website). Following a period of 3 months in the Google Sandbox, the ranking possibilities are severely restricted, and whilst your main site has established a decent domain value and a stash of quality backlinks, prepare to go back to the starting blocks with a microsite.