John Mueller from Google recently clarified that having multiple websites on the same IP address isn’t inherently an issue. However, it could pose a problem if those sites feature very similar content. This issue came up during a webmaster central office hours session, where someone expressed concern over a decline in traffic among their sites sharing the same IP address. Additionally, the sites were described as having very similar content and structure.
Mueller explained that multiple sites on the same IP address aren’t problematic for Google search. That’s generally how the internet functions, he noted. The more significant issue is the similar content, as Google may see it as a collection of doorway sites, particularly if these sites are directing users toward the same products.
In such cases, Google might do one of two things: it could choose to display content from only one site out of the “doorway” collection, or, if it views the similar content sites as “doorways,” it might demote all of them.
Mueller recommended that the webmaster focus on making the content more unique rather than worrying about the IP address.
In the related video, he explains that having all sites on the same IP address is not a problem. It’s common for sites to share an IP, which is how many content delivery networks operate as well. The main issue is if all the sites are very similar, which could lead Google’s algorithms to classify them as doorway sites essentially funneling toward the same product.
He advises trying to focus on fewer sites, ensuring they’re robust, unique, and offering distinctive content and products. This approach would prevent having a multitude of sites essentially doing the same thing.
