Hello kind sir, can I please buy that article from you? - Webmaster General forum at WebmasterWorld - WebmasterWorld

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Hello kind sir, can I please buy that article from you?

The viability of buying established articles

JS_Harris

1:08 pm on Mar 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

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Websites come and go, many end up neglected or personal circumstances force a sale as the owner looks to cash out. Buying and selling of websites has become more common over time... but what if I don't want the entire site? Most sites are bought with an idea or goal in mind, many are dismantled and have their traffic redirected etc...

How viable would it be to sell a website on a page by page basis?

Technology exists to redirect a visitor and tell the search engines a page has moved so why has nobody jumped on the buying and selling of individual already published and established web pages?

The value of links can be passed on with proper redirects and the redirect can be included in the terms of a sale. SEO and link structure can be improved upon on the new site as older sites often have many issues... so why has this type of selling not flourished yet? What obstacles would be faced? It would possibly cut down on the number of pages being produced and would ensure the best of the best never just vanish into oblivion.

MrHard

6:58 pm on Mar 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

Hello kind sir, What obstacles would be faced?

So you want only the high ranked page. Lack of sympathy on the sellers part may be one obstacle.

rocknbil

7:45 pm on Mar 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

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Seems to me this would fail because any single piece is only worth the sum of it's parts. Without the rest of the parts, it fails to be as effective. I'd like to have Arnold's bipes (from the 80's, at least) but even if that would be possible, I still wouldn't be as strong.

tangor

7:47 pm on Mar 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

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I'm wondering (assume sale goes through) how enforcement of that redirect will be obtained, and how much one would have to pay for THAT to continue. Buy the site/contents and be done... that's the way I would do it.

tangor

7:48 pm on Mar 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

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And there's the "cherry picking" aspect as well. Who would want to sell off the best parts and get stuck with the less than stellar should they want to sell the site later?

coachm

8:55 pm on Mar 7, 2010 (gmt 0)

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We licence our articles, but we don't permit buyers to use on the Internet, because, honestly, it cheapens the value of the articles to us. However, we do get customers for INTRAnet use and print. Some of our articles go back a long time so anything is gravy

JS_Harris

12:23 pm on Mar 8, 2010 (gmt 0)

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I agree - Seller integrity is an obstacle, how could the risk be reduced?

Seems to me this would fail because any single piece is only worth the sum of it's parts. Without the rest of the parts, it fails to be as effective.

That's not entirely accurate, if it was any article that gets redirected would lose potency. Search engines have outlined how to preserve page value, it could be done so long as a proper redirect is put in place permanently (it couldn't be just a few years ago). The article, once moved, would still be at the mercy of the sellers site to some extent but that is at least partially offset by the benefits of being on the buyers site.

I don't see this being viable for all types of pages and articles but for some types, such as with guides and how-to's, it would be worth the effort.