Doorway page

Google’s spam policies define doorway pages as many pages that funnel users to one destination. They exist to manipulate rankings, not to help people.

Patterns that trigger it: near-duplicate “city” or “keyword variant” pages where only a token changes, doorway hubs that list the variants then all point to one signup, or cookie‑cutter branches of a site that lead to the same content after a click.

A real page family is different. Each page stands on its own with unique answers, data, or offers that a reader would want by itself. A page earns its place when it holds substance, not just a swapped noun.

• /locations/london, /locations/leeds, /locations/luton where the only change is the city name, the body is the same, and all CTAs lead to /signup
• /features/crm-for-fitness, /features/crm-for-salons, /features/crm-for-plumbers that all repeat the same copy and link to /pricing
• /guides/how-to-use-yourproduct-in-{city} that give no local info, just a thin intro and a link to a generic guide

A safe variant shows clear, page‑level value: unique local data, service coverage, case studies, pricing or hours that differ, legal notes, or inventory that changes per city. Example: /locations/london has real areas served, travel times, local testimonials, and a booking calendar for London only, while /locations/leeds has Leeds‑specific content and availability.

1. 1

   List suspect folders

   Export URLs under /locations, /areas, /features-for-… or any templated path. A sitemap or a crawl works.

2. 2

   Check uniqueness

   Open five random pages. If titles, H1s and paragraphs are near-identical with only a token swap, mark them.

3. 3

   Trace the funnel

   If most CTAs on those pages all send to the same /signup or /pricing with no page‑specific conversion path, add to the risk list.

4. 4

   Review Search Console

   Look for many pages with impressions but no clicks, or clusters that dropped after a spam update. Check Manual actions for any notice.

5. 5

   Assess intent overlap

   Search the variant queries in quotes. If the user need is the same across variants and your pages add no distinct value, they are likely doorway pages.

• Merge thin variants into one page that honestly covers the topic, then 301 redirect old URLs to the best page
• Rebuild high‑value variants with unique local or segment data, proof, and offers, not just a swapped word
• Consolidate internal links: link to the canonical page, not to many near-duplicates
• Remove doorway hubs that only link to variants without offering value
• Update templates so each new page demands page‑level inputs: local stats, inventory, testimonials, distinct FAQs

A fixed page looks like /features/crm-for-fitness with sector metrics, named workflows, a case study, and feature emphasis that differs from /features/crm-for-salons. Each has its own CTA to a relevant demo, not a generic signup.

For a small site, fewer strong pages beat many weak ones. This also reduces index bloat and makes internal linking cleaner.