SEO performance: one website with a variety of non related products vs multiple websites catering to each product?

As an engineer involved in developing several products for different markets and applications, I am curious about the potential impact on SEO if I were to sell all these products on a single website compared to creating a separate website/shopping cart for each product.

There are pros and cons to both approaches.

Single Website:

  • Potential for Stronger Domain Authority: A single website with a long history and a large amount of content can accumulate significant domain authority, which can benefit the ranking of all products on the site.
  • Reduced Development and Maintenance Costs: Building and maintaining one website is generally more cost-effective than multiple websites.
  • Easier to Manage: Managing content, updates, and SEO efforts for a single website is simpler than managing multiple websites.

Multiple Websites:

  • Improved Focus: Each website can be specifically tailored to a particular product or market, allowing for more focused SEO strategies and content creation.
  • Enhanced User Experience: Users may find it easier to navigate a website focused on a single product, leading to a better user experience and potentially higher conversion rates.
  • Greater Brand Visibility: Multiple websites can potentially reach a wider audience and generate more traffic by targeting different keywords and search terms.

Ultimately, the best approach depends on several factors:

  • Number and Variety of Products: If you have a large number of products with distinct target audiences, multiple websites may be more beneficial.
  • Budget and Resources: If you have limited resources for website development and maintenance, a single website might be more practical.
  • SEO Expertise: Successfully managing multiple websites requires significant SEO expertise and resources.

Data and Evidence:

While there is no definitive answer based on Reddit comments, the general consensus among experienced SEO professionals suggests that focusing on one website with strong domain authority and relevant content can be effective. However, if you have a large number of diverse products, creating multiple websites dedicated to each product can potentially improve user experience and SEO performance.

It is crucial to conduct thorough keyword research and analysis for each product and website, and to develop a comprehensive SEO strategy to ensure optimal results regardless of the chosen approach.