Doorway Page
A doorway page is a page created to rank for specific, often closely related search queries, only to funnel visitors somewhere else. Google's spam policies explicitly name this "doorway abuse," making it a black hat SEO tactic.
A doorway page is a page created to rank for specific, often closely related search queries, only to funnel visitors somewhere else. Google's spam policies explicitly name this "doorway abuse," making it a black hat SEO tactic.
Why It Matters
Google defines doorways as pages that "lead users to intermediate pages that are not as useful as the final destination," and in March 2015 it shipped a dedicated ranking adjustment targeting them. The catch is that well-meaning sites get caught too. Stamping out dozens of location pages that only swap the city name, or near-identical pages for every keyword variation, is a common mistake — and it can end in ranking drops or a Google penalty.
Common Types
- Mass-produced city or region pages that all funnel visitors to a single destination
- Orphan pages that receive search traffic but are never linked from the site's navigation
- Thin content pages that resemble a search results list more than a real page
- Pages that instantly redirect visitors elsewhere — if search engines and users see different things, this overlaps with cloaking
The Landing Page Boundary
Targeting a keyword with a dedicated landing page is normal marketing. The dividing question is whether the page has standalone value.
| Aspect | Doorway page | Legitimate landing page |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Rank, then push visitors elsewhere | Solve the visitor's problem and convert |
| Content | Duplicated, thin, keyword-swapped | Unique information for that topic |
| Site structure | Isolated from navigation | Naturally integrated into the hierarchy |
If you build location pages, include things only that page can offer — the branch's address, hours, staff, reviews — and they will not read as doorways.
Sources:
- Spam policies for Google web search - Google Search Central
- An update on doorway pages - Google Search Central Blog
- What is a Doorway Page? - Ahrefs SEO Glossary
How inblog Helps
Instead of stamping out a thin page per keyword variation, publish one substantial post per search intent on inblog. Cover sibling queries within a single in-depth article and connect it through internal links, and you can target the same keyword cluster without any doorway risk.