Does a Resource Hub Split Your Website Traffic?
A Resource Hub does not have to split your website traffic: when it answers different questions from your main site and links back to it, Conqueror Capital treats it as a second front door into the same business. The main site stays focused on booking and calls; the hub picks up the earlier, broader questions people search before they are ready to buy.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The short answer: Two sites only compete when they try to rank for the same searches with similar pages. Give each one a different job: the main site answers "hire me" searches, the hub answers "how, why and what does it involve" searches, and every hub page links to the matching service page. Then check Search Console for overlap.
WHERE THE WORRY COMES FROM
The concern is reasonable. Google's spam policies describe doorway abuse, and one of the examples is "having multiple websites with slight variations to the URL and home page to maximize their reach for any specific query".1 If a second site copied the first one with a few words changed, it would be exactly that, and both would suffer.
A Resource Hub built the right way is the opposite: different pages, for different questions, that people find useful on their own. Our earlier post on whether to add a blog or a Resource Hub covers when each one fits; this post covers how the two sites share the work.
TWO SITES, TWO JOBS
Think about what people type at different stages:
- Ready to buy: "plumber near me", "emergency roof repair [town]", "locksmith open now". These belong to your main site's service pages, your Google Business Profile and your booking page.
- Still learning: "how long does a water heater last", "what to ask before hiring a roofer", "how often should a furnace be serviced". Your service pages have little room for these. A hub page can answer each one in full.
When each site owns its own set of questions, they are not chasing the same searches. The hub reaches people earlier, and the main site is there when they decide.
HOW THE LINKS CONNECT THEM
Google says it uses links as a signal when working out how relevant a page is and to find new pages to crawl, and that anchor text tells people and Google something about the page being linked to.2 So every hub guide should end with a plain, descriptive link to the matching service page on the main site, plus your phone number. The main site can link to the hub's most useful guides in return.
Keep it honest: the hub should say clearly which business runs it. Google's content guidance asks whether a page provides original information and a substantial, complete description of its topic.3 A hub that does that earns its place.
HOW TO CHECK THEY ARE NOT COMPETING
Google Search Console's performance report shows which search queries bring people to a site, with tabs for queries and pages.4 Set up both sites and, once a month:
- Export the top queries for each site.
- Look for queries that appear on both lists.
- Where they overlap, decide which site should own that question, and adjust the other page so it answers something different and links across.
Our Search Console guide for local businesses shows how to set it up.
SMALL, MID-SIZE AND ENTERPRISE
Small businesses: start with ten to twenty real customer questions and one guide for each. A short, accurate library is worth more than a long thin one.
Mid-size businesses: map each service to the questions people ask before buying it, so every service page has hub guides feeding it.
Multi-location and enterprise brands: keep brand-wide guides central, add location pages only where facts really differ, and set an owner and review date for every page. See how we work with mid-size and enterprise teams.
FAQ
Will a Resource Hub take traffic away from my main website?
Not if it answers different questions. The main site targets searches from people ready to hire or buy; the hub answers the earlier how and why questions and links readers to the main site.
Is a second website bad for SEO?
A second site that copies the first with small changes can fall under Google's doorway abuse policy. A hub with original, useful guides on different questions is a different thing.
How should a Resource Hub link to my main site?
Each guide should link to the matching service page with descriptive link text, and show your phone number. Google says it uses links and anchor text to understand pages.
How do I know if my two sites are competing?
Compare the top queries for each site in Google Search Console. Where both sites show up for the same query, give that question to one site and change the other page.
SOURCES
- Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search.
- Google Search Central, Link best practices for Google.
- Google Search Central, Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.
- Search Console Help, Performance report (Search results).
Platforms change often. Check the sources for the current version before acting.
KEEP READING
BOOK A STRATEGY CALL
Want to see which questions a Resource Hub could answer for your business? Book a 15-minute call and we will map them with you.