"related:" Search in Google

[compar]

I just tried a search in Google that I had never tried before. It is 'related:www.thedomainofyourchoice.com'.

The question is what is the relationship between these pages?

In the few searches I have tried it looks like it is mostly sites on the same server -- but now all the sites. Then there are sites that can only be explained by out going links -- but again not all out going links.

Strange set of data presented.

[digitalpoint]

Primarily, it seems to be based on linking (although not direct linking). You will find that much of the results are made of of pages that are linked to from a 3rd party site that also links to the page you are running the query for. There is more to it, but that seems to be the biggest factor.

- Shawn

[Foxy]

I had to go back and remind myself!

Senior moments!!!

It is pages that have a relevance to what is on your pages in the order that Google thinks that your pages have in the heirachy of things.

eg on our ski france (http://www.ski-france-ok.com/) site we have pages within the domain that relate to Les Arcs, Tignes, Notre Dame de Bellecombe - you will see that in our description - if you do a related:www.ski-france-ok.com

[Foxy]

I see that Shawn has added the linking bit and I tend to agree, but as we do very little external linking I think it has more to do with us with our content.

[sweetlouise]

the sites are cross linked on deep level pages, also if you check the nameservers are the same, you can do a dns check a dnstools.

[Wealdie]

My main site brings up many of my competitors and sites very closely related to my topic with a related: search (nothing to with with interlinking in this case). The site dominates the SERP's for its KW's too

This is a Very Good Thing if your site can achieve this - it means Google has a very clear definition of your sites themeing

[SticKer]

related sites mostly have the sites that are very similar to your site. For example i run a webmaster forum and my related sites shows all other webmaster forums. even dp shows up in the list of related links :)