What is Doorway Pages in SEO

 

Doorway pages are web pages that are created for the purpose of ranking well in search engines for specific keywords or phrases, but do not provide any value to the users. They are also known as gateway pages, bridge pages, jump pages or entry pages. Doorway pages are considered a form of spamdexing, which is the manipulation of search engine indexes to achieve higher rankings.

Doorway pages are often created in large numbers by using automated tools or scripts. They may target different variations of the same keyword, different locations, different languages or different devices. The content of doorway pages is usually thin, irrelevant, duplicated or spun from other sources. The main goal of doorway pages is to redirect or funnel users to another page, which is the actual destination or the main content of the website.

Doorway pages can harm the user experience and the quality of search results. They can confuse users, waste their time and bandwidth, expose them to malware or phishing sites, and lower their trust in search engines. Doorway pages can also harm the reputation and ranking of the website that uses them. Search engines like Google have developed algorithms and guidelines to detect and penalize doorway pages. Websites that use doorway pages may face manual actions, ranking drops or removal from the search index.

Some examples of doorway pages are:

• Creating multiple domain names, subdomains, subfolders or multiple sites to target specific search queries or regions, and redirecting users to one page.
• Creating pages that have little or no original content, but only link to the main page or another site.
• Creating pages that are closer to search results than a clear and browsable hierarchy.
• Creating pages that use keyword stuffing, cloaking, sneaky redirects or meta refresh tags.

To avoid creating doorway pages, website owners should focus on creating high-quality content that provides value to the users and matches their search intent. They should also follow the best practices and guidelines of search engines, and avoid using deceptive or manipulative techniques. They should also monitor their site performance and traffic regularly, and fix any issues or errors that may affect their ranking or user experience.

Also Read: What is Keyword Stuffing

Doorway pages are an outdated and unethical SEO tactic that can harm both users and websites. They should be avoided at all costs, as they can result in severe penalties from search engines. Instead, website owners should strive to create useful and relevant content that satisfies the users' needs and expectations.