Let's say I added a secondary or add-on domain to the same website and optimized that domain as well. Would this be good for my SEO? Would Google see the secondary domain as a separate website and think of it as repeat content?
I think you are getting into duplicate content regime here. I am assuming that you will have two domain names and they will share the DB.
are you switching domains or just using two to go to your website? If you are just having two because you want to then you should probably set one up with a 301 redirect because google might not like it. (duplicated website) Hope this helps Brandon
Add-onn domain will not be duplicate google bot knows it. But doing separate seo for both is very difficult and All SEOs not advising it do concentrate on on domain
I am not sure if you are talking about a sub-domain, something like Google does. main domain www[dot]google[dot]com and www[dot]maps[dot]google[dot]com (sorry cannot post the proper URL yet). For search engines a sub-domain is different to the main domain and is therefore treated as a separate domain. They are therefore ranked differently, almost like having two separate domain URLs.
It will not be a problem if you are the registrar of both domains. Google will treat them as separate websites and you will not get punished for duplicate content. However I personally consider it useless. It is better to focus on one doamin only...you will achieve better results faster...
This whole thing about 301 redirects. I keep on reading about it on the internet and in some of my SEO books but I never really noted what it meant. Is there a file I can upload to my website to get the 301 redirect? Do some servers already have it installed?
No, I was referring to an add-on domain which is basically a second or third domain that you add on to the same account that directs to the same website.
You're going to have to use the Apache Web server for this (unless you have the mod_rewrite emulator for IIS installed). If you have Apache and mod_rewrite (or are using the emulator I referred to), then create a .htaccess file in the add-on domain's root (where the home page would go) and put this in it: Redirect 301 / http://www.domain.tld Code (markup): Of course, domain.tld will be the domain name that you're forwarding the add-on to.
Is it really makes any sense? Why don't you optimize your different web pages and promote them. They will help you more in things.
So if I had a second domain pointing to my website, I would add the "second" domain for http://www.domain.tld?
yes, but the domain.tld text would be the domain name you're using, like digitalpoint.com or shadyeddysbailbonds.biz for example
That's not what he's planning on doing, technocrazzy. Many hosting providers allow people to "add on" domains to their hosting accounts so they can host multiple sites under the same plan without having to get a reseller package. He's just taking advantage of it to redirect one domain to the primary one (like the .net and .org of a domain to the .com version so people get taken to the .com if they find themselves on the .net or .org for some reason).
as long as you dont use dublicate content i dont think you need to worry you can point asmany domains but if they all from the same host or they have your name in the registar then it can make google raise an eyebrow and get suspicious