Google Webmaster Tools: Preferred domain

[john@kapoo]

Apologise if I'm going over old ground, but I can't find a specific thread on Google's Webmaster Tools: Preferred Domain to date. I'm interested in peoples thoughts on this, especially if you have tried this out - Any improvements, negative points?

From what I understand, this tool basically allows you to change how your URL is displayed in Google's search results - Change from www.mywebsite.com to mywebsite.com and visa versa.

And there you have it. I thought this tool was *just* to change the display of the URL in the search results. However, here is a quote from the online help file:

"The preferred domain is the one that you would liked used to index your site's pages (sometimes this is referred to as the canonical domain). Links may point to your site using both the www and non-www versions of the URL (for instance, Example Web Page and Example Web Page). The preferred domain is the version that you want used for your site in the search results.

Once you tell us your preferred domain name, it may help us determine PageRank for your site more accurately." ???

Thoughts?

Cheers
John

[crankydave]

Not exactly sure what your question is but by "telling" Google what version of your URL you prefer they can assign "value", such as PR, to a single URL and not split it up among the different canonical URL's you may indexed regardless of what URL a link uses.

Best practice is to 301 the undesired URL's to the desired one.

Dave

[kgun]

In my Google Searh box history I have the following KW search:

Preferred Domain name site:www dot Google dot com ..... No hits

That has changed, so something must have happened.

Then try this:

Preferred Domain name site:www dot mattcutts dot com/blog/ ..... 264 hits

May be you should go to his Blog and ask.

[incrediblehelp]

This feature does nothing but change your website is displayed in the SERPs.

[crankydave]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

This feature does nothing but change your website is displayed in the SERPs.

Webmaster Help Center - What's a preferred domain?

Dave

[john@kapoo]

Originally Posted by incrediblehelp

This feature does nothing but change your website is displayed in the SERPs.

But as I previously quoted from a page of G's Webmaster help page (As linked to from Dave's last reply), it says the following, "Once you tell us your preferred domain name, it may help us determine PageRank for your site more accurately." Which leads me to believe it does more than just change the look visually in the SERPs.

Question for you Dave, as I'm not understanding fully the importance of a 301 redirect in this case. Surely Google would read both links - either www.mywebsite.com or mywebsite.com as being the same. Or more to the point, why wouldn't G read it as the same? A redirect from mywebsite.com to www.mywebsite.com even though it is in fact, the same thing anyhoo? Sorry, I'm probably missing the target here by a mile.

The preferred domain tool is set to no association as default. Has anyone seen a change in SERP position by changing this to one or the other options? In fact, does ANYONE actually use this tool?

Thanks guys.
John

[kgun]

May be this post by Matt Cutts may help you.

SEO advice: url canonicalization

[john@kapoo]

Thanks Kgun, first time read on that article from Matt Cutts.

So, anyone use this tool? Good results? Bad results?