Table of Contents
What is a doorway?
A doorway, or doorway page, is a web page or multi-page site that serves to redirect users to other resources. In most cases, these pages are considered search spam. The translation of the term from English means "entrance door" or "portal". Doorways are used to attract traffic and subsequently redirect visitors to a main site or affiliate programs. Typically, these pages contain minimal useful information but allow for quick and cheap traffic growth to the target resource.
How does a doorway work?
The main goal of creating doorways is to optimize pages to achieve high positions in search engines. This is achieved by including high-frequency, medium-frequency, and low-frequency queries in the metadata, headers, and content of the page. When a user enters a query into a search engine, the doorway appears in the search results. By clicking on the snippet, the user transitions to the site, where various scenarios are possible:
- Redirect: The user is instantly redirected to a third-party resource without the chance to see the content of the doorway.
- Clickander: The user lands on the doorway, and upon clicking the page, a landing page or another site opens in a new tab.
- Static page: The user sees the doorway with an attractive design and adequate content, after which they can proceed to the main resource via the provided links.
Types of doorways
Doorways can be classified by various criteria, including their functionality and purpose. The main types include:
- White doorways: These resources are difficult to distinguish from regular sites due to quality content and graphics. They aim to attract targeted traffic.
- Gray doorways: These sites also offer understandable texts but contain links to third-party resources, encouraging the user to click on them.
- Black doorways: These pages are created solely for redirecting users and work via redirect or clickander.
In recent years, search engines have actively fought against black doorways, making gray and white doorways more common.
Methods of creating a doorway
Doorways can be created using two main methods: manual and automatic. In manual creation, specialists independently develop the site and content, using parsers to collect information and synonymizers to achieve uniqueness. Automatic methods include using generator programs that can create text and entire sites automatically, utilizing various algorithms. Despite the differences, the essence of all methods remains the same—creating pages for spam in search engines.
Disadvantages of doorways
Despite some advantages, doorways have significant drawbacks that can negatively impact the main site:
- Risk of blocking: Search engines actively combat doorways and may block them at the first opportunity.
- Limited target audience: Doorways attract only those users who are searching for information based on keywords.
- Low user trust: Unprofessional texts and intrusive links can alert visitors.
- Doubtful effectiveness: Although doorways can quickly attract users, the traffic is often not targeted.
Should you use doorways?
Doorways are considered illegal according to search engine rules, and their use can lead to negative consequences. Although white and gray doorways are not always easy to recognize as spam, their creation requires significant effort and resources. Instead, it is recommended to use safe and effective traffic attraction methods to avoid risks for the main site and the company's reputation. Creating quality content and optimizing the site can yield more sustainable results.