Random Sections: SEO Boon or Bust?
Ever wonder if adding a totally random new section to your website is a brilliant expansion plan or a recipe for SEO disaster? It’s a common question we get, and Roger Montti recently dove into what Google actually thinks about this.
What Google Says About Unrelated Content
Montti’s breakdown of comments from Google’s John Mueller sheds some light, but maybe not in the way you’d hope. Essentially, Google *can* figure things out if you add completely unrelated topics, but it makes their job harder. Think about it: Google tries to understand what your site is *really* about, its main purpose. When you suddenly start talking about llama grooming on your established tech review site, Google might get a bit confused.
Focus is Key: A Consultant’s Perspective
From my perspective as a consultant, Montti’s reporting underscores a crucial point: focus matters. While Google *says* it won’t necessarily penalize you outright for adding diverse topics, Mueller’s comments suggest it can definitely dilute your site’s perceived expertise in its core area. This could potentially slow down indexing for the new content or even subtly impact how Google views the authority of your original topics.
Proceed with Caution or Consider a New Site?
It’s not an automatic “no,” but it’s a definite “proceed with caution.” Adding adjacent or related topics is usually much smoother. Tackling something completely different? Be prepared for a potentially longer and bumpier road to getting that new content recognized and ranked. It really makes you think about whether splitting into a new site might be cleaner, doesn’t it?
Dive Deeper
For a deeper dive into Mueller’s exact words and Montti’s analysis, you should definitely check out his piece.
Source: Montti, Roger. Read Google’s take on adding new website topics for yourself.