Link Building – Inbound links remain a primary ranking factor for local search. Obtaining high-quality, relevant links from authoritative websites can be a challenge. On a single domain strategy, the effect of inbound linking will resonate across the entire domain, rather than being separated across communities on multiple different domains.
Corporate Branding – If you brand all communities under a corporate umbrella, it makes sense to utilize a single domain to house all community websites. It also makes sense if your corporate reputation is a part of your marketing strategy.
Easier to Cross Sell – If a community is fully leased-up or does not offer amenities that match a new prospect’s needs, website users can intuitively engage with the corporate website to search for other nearby locations, rather than exiting the local business’s website to head back to the search engine. Returning renters with a positive customer experience will also be able to more easily search for more communities within the corporate brand.
SEO Efforts Are Compounded – It is much more effective to work on improving the authority of one domain vs 50 domains. SEO efforts can be targeted toward the root domain which will pass authority to the interior pages and locations.
Reduced Cost – Overall, single domains cost less to build and maintain. Rather than buying a domain for each property, you only need to purchase one.
Benefits of a Multi-Domain Strategy
Flexibility – Overall, multiple domains adapt well to changes in ownership and branding and can be more flexible.
Different Owner and Operator – If your business does not manage on-the-ground operations, it can be confusing to residents and prospects if you group locations under a single domain because they might assume that your company takes ownership for the upkeep of their residence. To avoid confusion, it can be useful to choose domains that speak to each asset’s brand, rather than group assets under your corporate brand name.
