multiple domain aliases and google SEO

[Leeoniya]

I was wondering if anyone knows what the best SEO approach is to having multiple domain names all go to the same place.

there are several options and not knowing what google likes or prefers, i cant decide what i want to do.


here are my options:
1. Redirect/forward at the registrar (have HTTP headers return a 301 or 302).
This has the effect of sending the browser to the destination domain and having the address bar in the browser also change to the destination domain.

2. Multiple VirtualHost entries in Apache's httpd.conf - all using the same DocumentRoot, and IP. this basically makes the address bar stay the same and masks the primary domain, while serving identical content.

3. Same as#2 above, except use different IPs, still with the same DocumentRoot. (maybe google checks the IP to determine whether or not the domain is an alias?)

This is an ecommerce site, and i'm thinking i will have little choice but to go with the forwarding option since i have a Verisign SSL cert for a "secure." subdomain of the primary domain, otherwise people will not be able to checkout without having to send them to the real thing anyhow.

Leon

[Apostropartheid]

I'm probably thinking a HTTP 301 Moved Permanantly is most appropriate here. As long as you're not expecting to get results in a search engine for that site...

[demtron]

I agree with CyanLight. I believe you will get only one of the sites indexed and the rest will be considered too similar even if you use redirect, different IPs, masking, or other techniques. Google doesn't like duplicated content in its index, so it will ignore these additional domains.