Creating sites or pages for similar searches that channel visitors through less useful intermediate pages instead of serving their needs directly.
Doorway abuse involves sites or pages created to rank for similar searches and lead people through less useful intermediate destinations. It is not limited to geographic keywords. A page can be problematic because it primarily acts as a search entry point rather than providing a useful destination of its own.
The fact that several pages share a contact form or checkout does not by itself establish doorway abuse. Customers may need different product specifications, service details or branch information before using the same next step. Examine whether those pages genuinely serve different needs or merely repeat the same offer with minor keyword changes.
A helpful review follows the visitor’s task. Can someone understand the offer, assess suitability and find the relevant next step from this page? If the visitor must click elsewhere to obtain the basic information promised by the search result, the page may be an unnecessary obstacle. Consolidation may be appropriate, but preserve genuinely distinct information and avoid indiscriminate deletion.
Takeaway: Make each landing page useful as a destination rather than just another entrance to the same pitch.
Example
A training provider publishes dozens of qualification pages that all contain the same generic introduction and send visitors to an unsorted course list. A smaller set of detailed course pages would better answer the promised questions.
What to check
Review page families together. Shared navigation is normal; manufactured distinctions with no practical benefit deserve closer attention.
For more detail, see Google spam policies.