eHealth Articles & White Papers

Microsites and the Zen of SEO

Ben Dillon - Vice President & eHealth Evangelist

Marketers tend to use microsites because they are highly targeted and perceived to be search engine friendly. But, do microsites really aid in search engine optimization (SEO)? Using microsites can be a controversial move. There are equally vocal pundits who support and attack microsites and their relationship to SEO.

What is a microsite?

A microsite is a small website focused on one topic. Microsites typically have:

• Navigation that is separate from your primary site (it "lives outside" of the site)
• A distinct appearance and brand from your primary site
• A main landing page with its own URL
• A very specific call-to-action

Because microsites focus on one topic, both in terms of content and purpose, they have the potential to receive high rankings from search engines. However, search engines consider much more than content when assigning a rank to a site.

Effects of SEO and site trust

Search algorithms have become complex. Google and other search engines rank sites based on content as well as an overall trust factor for the site. Trust factors include the site's age, number of backlinks, etc. Microsites tend to score poorly on trust factor, because they are newer sites and contain fewer backlinks.

By keeping the content that you would have placed in a microsite on your main site, you can take advantage of the trust that has already been established on your site.

Importance of the address

So, how do you gain the benefits of a microsite without losing site trust? The answer hides in the fuzzy ways that we define a site. Search engines tend to analyze domains, which are the main component of a URL. For example, if your main site is at www.MyHospital.org, "MyHospital.org" is the domain.

The key to getting the best benefit from your microsite is to make sure your microsite is tied to your main site via your domain. You can:

• Use a sub-site such as HeartCare.MyHospital.org
• Place the microsite within your main site structure like www.MyHospital.org/HeartCare - you can use a different look and navigation to maintain the appearance of a microsite

You may still choose to use a special "vanity" URL for your microsite, a separate domain name that is not connected to your primary domain but is typically shorter and more memorable. For example, a vanity URL such as www.MHHeartCare.org may point to a page within your main site or to its own site and is used primarily for marketing purposes.

If you choose to use a vanity URL, there are two ways to ensure that search engines properly attach that to your main site:

• Redirect the vanity URL properly to a section within your main site (using what is known as a 301 redirect)
• Use Google Webmaster tools to upload a sitemap which includes all of your domains (other search engines have similar facilities). This requires you to first set up Webmaster tools for each domain and verify that domain through the toolset. Once completed, this implicitly proves to Google that all of the sites are yours and to count the domains as a single site.

Content + Trust = High Rankings

So who is correct - the proponents of microsites or the critics? It's true that microsites can produce high rankings in search engines, if created properly. The trick is to make sure your microsite content is relevant and is tied into your main site. It's important to have a strategy in place before implementing your microsite to ensure you receive the benefits you seek.