Multiple Sites on Page 1, Same Keyphrase, Thoughts?

[NathanG]

What are your thoughts and experiences with having more than one website on page 1 for the same search phrase?

Currently, all the sites are showing and have been live for almost a year. I'm about to start monetizing them but wanted to know if other warriors had experience or can point me to Google TOS that says this is a no-no.

Each site is unique design, original content, different IP. It's not obvious that I own them all, but my assumption is that Google can figure anything out. That said, if/when they do, what are the chances they'll kill one/all of the sites because I'm being "unfair" to competition?

Thanks for your insights
Nathan

[Bosco]

This will be interesting to see what experienced Warriors say.

I will be rather shocked if Google slaps you in any way for your acumen.

I question if they'll even notice the same ownership, unless you
are running Adsense on them.

[InternetMarketingIQ]

Google doesn't care... why would they?

Google loves Branding. CEO Eric Schmidt has come on record to say Google will use Branding to help determine results.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-10063363-80.html

Read about Proctor and Gamble. They own the detergent isle in grocery stores. Basically the same chemicals in different packaging.

Look at the Travel Industry... there are only 5 main players... different branded sites all leading to the same place... Expedia Hotwire TravelAdvisor... etc.

If you can get all 10 spots for a term in Google then you should do it if it will make you money.

[mikkosant]

Go for it.....Like others have said, it should just make you more money! I hope you picked a decent keyword though.

Cheers

[Carl Reader]

I don't see it as a real concern? Certainly, two of my keywords that I target have a couple of sites of mine on page 1, together with a PPC ad campaign, so that I have a reasonably good chance of attracting any leads for that search. I've encountered no issues so far, but YMMV

[mikemcmillan]

Google's main concern is in providing quality content for searchers. If you dominate the quality content she'll put all of your pages on her front page as long as they are all under different top-level domain names.

[NathanG]

I was basically thinking the same thing: "why would it matter, as long as the content is quality?"

@Bosco - I don't do adsense anymore, so no problems there. The other thing I cannot do is google analytics. Looking at other tracking programs instead, now.

@InternetMarketingIQ - Thanks for the link. And I agree, I know what you mean. The situation here is, I own the .com and .net of a great keyphrase. The one is already making me good money, but I was nervous about bringing the second on board. The market I'm targeting will be fairly easy to re-enter if one or both sites gets dumped, but it can still make me nervous to think that direction.

@mikkosant - Oh, it's a good key phrase :-) Not an obvious one (very niche) but it does me well.

@Carl Reader - Thanks for your vote of experience!

@mikemcmillan - I agree. There's extra expense in setting up unique content on each site (if you want the content to be good, anyway), but hopefully it'll work out smoothly.

Thanks for the responses!

Competitors will hate me though :-)

[carertet]

sounds like you are going about it the right way. If the niche is good it should be worth it for you. You have diff c class IP's etc, but they can probably tell it is you via whois unless you use privacy on your domains.

[NathanG]

@carertet - Definitely separate C class IPs. Great tip for others looking to accomplish this

Thanks for the comment