What is Doorway Pages?
TL;DR
Low-quality pages created solely to rank for specific search queries and funnel users to other pages. Often used for Local SEO spam, creating nearly identical pages for "Plumber [City1]," "Plumber [City2]," etc. with minimal unique content. Google penalizes doorway pages. Local-landing-pages should be genuinely unique and valuable.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Doorway Pages
What makes a page a 'doorway page'?
Key characteristics: created primarily for search engines, minimal unique value per page, uses templates with only location/keyword swapped, exists mainly to funnel to another page, and doesn't serve the user's actual needs.
Are location pages automatically doorway pages?
No. Legitimate local landing pages have unique, valuable content about each location, local team members, specific services offered there, genuine customer testimonials, and relevant local information. Template-swapped pages with just city names changed are doorway pages.
How do I create legitimate local pages?
Each location page should have unique content: local staff profiles, location-specific services, genuine local reviews, community involvement, local landmarks for directions, and content that would genuinely help someone in that area. Real value, not just keywords.
How many location pages is too many?
There's no magic number, it depends on whether each page provides genuine unique value. One excellent page per true service area is better than dozens of thin doorway pages. Quality over quantity.
Can doorway pages affect my whole site?
Yes. Google may penalize just the doorway pages or your entire site depending on severity. If doorway pages comprise a significant portion of your site, the whole domain can suffer. Remove them proactively.
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