Not all sites are sand-boxed, but one has to assume that the likelihood of the sandbox effect happening is high. I have developed a way of ensuring that the sandbox effect is sidelined. Firstly, register the new URL for 10 years and link to it from an existing quality site. Leave a simple holding page at the root for starters. Create the new content for the site and optimise it in accordance with current SEO ethical practices. Make sure that there is nothing that could trip a spam filter. Apply this to both "on page" and "off page" factors. Publish the new content to the existing site as a sub domain. Let Google index it in this place. Check Google's cache to make sure that all pages are indexed and that the new URL is indexed then migrate the content to the new site. Hey presto - Trusted content on a trusted URL. Make sure the site is submitted to DMOZ straight away. There's another tip here - If your industry is "fibreglass gratings" and you are based in Hertford, submit to the "Hertford" page as the geographical area you are located in and not the industry sector page. I typically gain a ,listing in approximately 2 weeks this way. Much, much quicker than waiting for an industry specific listing. Then, of course submit to a few industry specific directories. Not too many though as this can trip a spam filter. Lastly, use 301 redirects from the old sub domain to the new site. Also, make sure that the canonicalisation issue is sorted through the correct use of 301s too.