Found a cache of old domain names, should I link or 301 redirect

[moconn]

We have found a cache of about 10 URLs, some are ranking above our main URL in Google SERPS.

What is the best course of action here?

a. Redirect all to the homepage?
b. Link all domains to the homepage?
c. Link all domains to select pages on on main site, being careful not to anchor text spam
d. 301 redirect all to the main site.

Is there any disadvantage to your recommendation? Is there likely to be a penalty incurred?

I feel like we'll get the strongest increase in rankings by following option c but it feels like option d may be safer.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[RobCairns]

Hi there,

I would proceed with caution with any of those options. First off, what is the hosting situation with each of these URL's? You are going to have to be careful since inter-connected websites linking to one-another is going to give Google plenty of red flags and might suggest a PBN is in use, which may bring on more scrutiny of your main domain.

301's are not ideal in this situation since they are used primarily for re-branding purposes. In other words, for when the content of a website is being shifted to a new domain. This is a pure link scenario, without the same brand change. 301-ing multiple domains to a single domain just isn't how they are supposed to be used. Will you be penalized? I'm unsure. Is it risky? You bet.

a) If you do go the redirect route, definitely don't link everything to the Home page - 301's are meant to be page-to-page changeovers meaning your Home Page redirects to the new Home Page, the Category Pages redirect to the Category Pages, etc. If each of your websites have the same structure, then it's not such a big deal. I'd still be wary of going that route, though.

b) Linking all the domains to the Home page is probably the best option assuming you aren't hosting each of these websites on the same server. If you have anything but a-class hosting (i.e. shared, etc), I wouldn't go this route.

c) Linking domains to internal pages is probably your safest option, since it spreads the links around in a more relevant manner and won't impact your entire site the way the same links would on your Home page. This is due to the new updates to to Penguin. If you go this route, you will be able to test whether or not these links are hurting or helping you for rankings on specific pages without risking your entire site.

d) Again, probably not ideal to 301 redirect any of these websites to your new site. The only benefit that would have would be to redirect traffic to your main site. If that is your ultimate goal, then try to use best practices outlined in a) above. However, if this is for a link juice and ranking purpose, then redirecting will not be as effective as linking. Keep in mind that redirecting also impacts the strength of that domain's link profile, so 301's are actually going to take away from the strength of the links your other websites produce.

I would go with option c), rolled out gradually, opting for a couple of pages and measuring ranking fluctuations as a result over a couple of weeks. If you see gains, keep going. If you see losses, you know what the problem is and you can fix it easily. Before I did that, however, I would investigate the hosting situation and relationships between these sites to minimize the potential impact of link spam suppressions and penalties.

Hope this helps provide you with some extra information. Don't be afraid to reach out if you have any further questions or need clarification. Good luck!

Cheers,

Rob