Does Having 3 Websites On Magento Affect Domain Authority?

[HigherthanSEO]

We have a client who has 3 separate websites targeting the US, Australia, and the UK. Each of them has relevant ccTLD's such as: .com .com.au and .co.uk.

Our client wants to use the Magento multi-site function so it combines all the stores (which are the exact same products) and merge it into one through Magento.

Will this affect his Domain Authority? Or would they be treated as individual when receiving link value, trust, authority?

There doesn't seem a lot information out there about this can anyone help?

Thanks,

Matt

[LynnPatchett]

It shouldn't effect domain authority.

The multi domain setup in Magento is usually done through the use of virtual hosts on the server side in combination with different base urls for each of the main store views.

Search engines would still see the 3 domains as 3 separate domains and links pointing to the individual domains would still be pointing to separate domains.... so I don't think there would be a problem in regards domain authority.

You have probably seen it already, but here is the official Magento description of the setup procedure: http://www.magentocommerce.com/knowledge-base/entry/tutorial-multi-site-multi-domain-setup

[HigherthanSEO]

Hi Lynnch,

Thanks for your help I am now more convinced if the Magento Multi-site function is set up properly it shouldn't be an issue.

I also wasn't sure because the three websites will share the same store and wasn't sure how Google would view this as there is very little information out there about this. Do you know if this would affect the SEO?

Thanks,

Matt

[LynnPatchett]

Hi Matt,

You will want to be careful of duplicate content issues since all product and static blocks etc will be sourced from the same database. But this is something you can edit on a store view by store view basis so as long as you make sure the content is suitable then really from an SEO point of view it is like you have 3 different sites.

[KPDavis]

Sorry to come in on this question, but going back to Matt's initial question, the domains are for 3 different countries, but all 3 will be on the same server as alias domains?

Will Google view the 2 that are not on the country specific server as not in the country of the TLD?

So if they are based on a UK server and someone in Australia searches for one of his products will the domain for Australia rank ok on google.au?

Should each be on a server that is based in the domains country?

[LynnPatchett]

Hi Keith,

All three would be running from the same server as virtual hosts, so they are on the same server and yes google would see that the server is in the one country and not the other two.

The use of the TLD (and proper localisation of currencies, texts etc etc) is a much bigger indicator to google about which country each site is aimed at than server location which is a pretty minor indicator considering so many sites are running off CDNs or are hosted in countries other than where their main market (and TLD) is.

Either way, the initial question was in regards using magento in a multi domain setup which means using the same server and therefore as you say the TLD and the server location will not always match, but as mentioned this should not really be a problem.

Hope that helps!

[KPDavis]

Hi Lynn,

Yes many thanks it does, as with Matt I am doing the same as him but will of course make sure only the products are the same and change the store information descriptions, currencies etc.

Luckily enough I am starting fresh with 3 stores, one here in the UK, one in Germany and the other in Poland but all from a UK server.

Cheers!