Great question Karen. The answer is… well as clear as mud….as is the case with a number of SEO strategies, the answer to these questions is…. it depends. It depends on what your goals are for these microsites and what you are trying to accomplish from an online perspective. To begin to answer this question, let’s examine what a microsite is.

Microsites Defined A microsite is a small web property (website) that is usually used to target a specific type of visitor. The site is usually more niche in nature dealing with a more narrow product or solution line and is often used for temporary promotion. The attraction of using microsites is that they are quick and easy to produce and can become a great tool for promotion of a specific topic.

The thing with microsites is that we have seen microsites provide mixed results. Sometimes the results can be fantastic where the microsites rank well and provide a really great return, while other times they simply take away from the goal of the main site. Think about this: In essence the use of microsites basically provides more competition for your own site. Why would you want to compete with yourself for the valuable search engine real estate? For example if your main site is a strong site with lots of content and decent rankings, why would you want to jeopardize the success of that site? The other issue with microsites is the on-going maintenance of them. It can take a lot of resources to maintain and optimize them.

Having said that, microsites can help focus on a specific topic and quickly become an authority on that topic, resulting in rankings for that topic. If you are focusing on a specific topic or product, microsites can be very effective. Microsites are great for short term promotions. In addition from an SEO standpoint, Microsites give you the ability to insert keywords into the URL of the site which can be of benefit when optimizing for search engine rankings.

When deciding on whether or not to use microsites, ask yourself:

1. What is the goal of the microsite? To promote the main site? To rank for niche terms. To spin-off a new product? To target a specific audience?
2. Do you have the resources to maintain and properly optimize the microsite? Do not assume that just because you create a new microsite that you are going to rank well in the search engines.
3. Will you be directly competing with your other web properties?
4. Will the site be used for short term or long term gain?
5. Will the microsites have unique and interesting content that is not duplicated on your other sites? Quite often site owners and webmasters will use microsites for:

* New Product / Solution Promotion
* Promotion of an Upcoming Event/Contest
* As a Testing Environment
* Launch of a Viral Marketing Campaign
* SEO: To Leverage a keyword rich Domain / URL
* SEO: To Help Build External Links to a Main Site

As you can see there are benefits to both. Depending on your situation, it would be a good idea to build up your main site and maybe experiment with a couple of microsites to begin with, just to see what value they can bring. If there is success, then you can always roll out more. Microsites work best for short term promotion. If you goal consists of long term strategy, you may simply want to promote your main site and use microsites when there is need for a more specific promotion. The microsites should focus on making the user take a specific action. Ensure that there are clear calls to action and ensure that you link back to your main web properties.

When leveraged properly, microsites allow site owners to:

* Concentrate on specific target
* Communicate a clear, concise message
* Test SEO tactics
* A/B Testing of site usability features
* Qualify Leads To answer the question as to if microsites are a good or bad idea, you first need to look at your online goals. Next think of the resources required to set up and maintain the microsite(s). Finally evaluate the expected return. How will the use of microsites affect your bottom line?

Examples of Creative Use of Microsites

Ford Race Challenge
7up In
NHL PowerPlay
WidgetQube from Media Trust
Lays’ - Whats the Program.com Additional Microsite Information Resources HP Communities
Search Engine Land: The Pros And Cons Of Microsites As An SEO Option
Divide And Conquer - The Benefits Of Microsites
Niche Marketings Using Microsites - from Travel Industry Association Copyright 2008 - Enquiro Search Solutions.