Hey Guys,
I am trying out a new format today with just one piece of content being highlighted.
I would love to get your feedback on this format, it is not going to replace the 10 item edition, but we will send these one item newsetters a few times a week on top of that, whenever i find something i really want to share.
Todays video…
How To Build 700+ Niche Sites from a Single Domain
You can place 700 subdomains on a single domain to fix indexing problems and get thousands of pages indexed fast.
TL;DR
Brian Winch pivoted from single authority sites to WordPress multi-site networks built entirely on subdomains.
It's a structure that forces search engines to index duplicate content and passes authority across the entire network.
He also deploys custom text files and blockchain timestamping to secure brand authority for AI search bots.
SUMMARY
The Niche Pursuits Podcast interviews agency owner Brian Winch about his pivot to massive subdomain networks to survive recent search engine updates.
He reveals his exact technical setup for passing authority between sites and optimizing crawl paths for AI bots. You can watch the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zxWqFA_rps&pp=ugUEEgJlbg%3D%3D.
THE POINTS
The Subdomain Network Strategy
Build entire networks using WordPress multi-site installations on subdomains instead of folders.
Place up to 700 or 800 subdomains on a single primary domain to test new topics.
Structure subdomains around specific long-tail categories like patio furniture on a backyard domain.
Clone a site to a new subdomain in under 30 seconds to speed up testing.
Pass authority across the network by treating each subdomain as a separate site that lifts the others.
Publish syndicated press releases across hundreds of subdomains to force rapid indexing.
Optimizing for AI Bots
Create custom LLMs.txt files instead of relying on default sitemap generators.
Inject a custom header into the text file detailing the target audience, brand identity and services.
Place off-page authority signals like citations and awards in the footer of the text file.
Build subdirectory text files for specific product or service categories to provide a deeper crawl path.
Link the text files in header meta tags so bots find them from any entry page.
Create supplemental JSON files containing scraped Google reviews to feed AI platforms.
Building Authority and Authorship
Buy guest posts and advertorials on third-party sites because AI bots consume them to build consensus.
Publish AI-generated interviews on authoritative sites in your brand voice to establish expertise.
Power up tier one guest posts with tier two press releases syndicated across a subdomain network.
Include person and organization schema on both tier one and tier two backlinks to create a topical silo.
Place a free DMCA badge on every page footer to timestamp the publication and claim ownership.
Push every new article to the internet archive to create an unalterable timestamp.
Use a blockchain service to further verify original authorship and secure your brand identity.
How its done…
☐ Set up a WordPress multi-site installation to test new niches on subdomains.
☐ Create a custom LLMs.txt file that lists your off-page citations and awards.
☐ Place a free DMCA badge in your website footer to timestamp your content.
☐ Send your published pages to the internet archive to establish authorship.
My take AEO is the shift that matters now.
Getting cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and AI Overviews is the new game, and different engines cite different kinds of sources, so you optimise for the engine you want.
Do E-E-A-T the honest way.
Capture your own real experience and opinions, don't fake expertise you don't have.
CTA
I built SaaS SEO Factory, a free tool that takes one product and turns it into a plan of 100 to 300 SEO pages: alternatives, comparisons, best-of lists, pages for each audience and more, grouped into the footer hubs the big SaaS sites use, with a CSV export.
Free, runs in your browser, try it on your own product.