Host name vs Domain name = Duplicate Content?

[DMC_34]

I noticed Google has my index page in there index twice, one as http://www.pro-gift-baskets.com and the other with out the "www."

Isn't this considered duplicate content? Does this hurt the other pages listing with "www."? If so any suggestions on how to handle this. I am afraid of removing the bad url with the management tools from Google login as it might remove the desired URL as well.

allinanchor:"pro gift baskets"

[bhartzer]

You're right, it's duplicate content. I wouldn't use any Google removal tools at this point. Keep in mind that once you use the Google removal tool the URL will be removed for 6 months, and you probably don't want that to happen.

Most likely the duplication is due to links. Somewhere Google found a link to the www version and the non-www version. So, it indexed both. And, to further complicate things, they found two different title tags on those two pages. It could be a coincidence that they visited your site once before an update to your title tag and once after you updated your title tag, but I would check to see if there really are two different versions of your site. If not, then I wouldn't worry about it.

One thing you can do, though, is set up a 301 Permanent Redirect from the non-www version to the www version of your site and that should take care of it. You can also make sure that the links on your site always point to the www version--don't use relative links. Also, see if you can find links to the non-www version and fix them (I would use MSN to check the backlinks to your non-www version).

If you truly have duplicate content on the non-www version and the www version of your site (which is usually the case) then Google will usually figure these things out. Like I said earlier, the issue came up when they found two versions of your title tag.

[DMC_34]

Thanks B

I put in a 301 redirect to add the host. Seems to be working fine. I checked my entire sight and I there wasnt any links as just the domain name. I now wonder if this might be part of the reason for the PR 2 home page and most of inner pages have a higher PR.

One question though to clear that bad URL out: Should I put a link at the bottom of the home page which has the pro-gift-baskets.com so Google will index it and find it is 301 redirected now? Hopefully clear out the dup content?

[brian.mark]

You won't need a link to it. If google found it once, they'll be back soon enough.

Brian.