Phasing Out Products - SEO Question

cz · #1 (**permalink**) 10-27-2007, 02:41 AM

One of our suppliers of "automatic widgets" is discontinuing them as stock sells out. We have a whole section full of them - about 30 items.

They will be selling the same widgets though they are NOT "automatic widgets" but "manual widgets" and have a few differences in description.

My "automatic widget" section is PR4 and the item pages are all PR3.

Would you recommend gutting the pages and putting the new image and description in the item pages of dicontinued "auto widgets"?

I hate to delete 30 item pages of PR3 and start fresh. I think the URL's being all mashed together - (a Yahoo Store URL) wouldn't be a problem but wonder if GG would see the item page as having changed the "on page title and text" and wonder if this would create a bigger problem.

Thanks for your advice!

tamecrow · #2 (**permalink**) 10-29-2007, 11:15 AM

Would it be suitable for the users to have the sections for automatic widgets redirected to the page for manual widgets? If so, a 301 redirect is in order

**incrediblehelp** · #3 (**permalink**) 10-29-2007, 12:36 PM

1. Find someone else to supply you with automatic widgets
2. 301 redirect the out of stock pages to the related product category page.
3. Leave the page/URL live until you get more stock in to maintain the rankings.
4. Leave the page/URL as is and simply put a temporary "Out of Stock" message up until you decide what to do.

Most importantly is not to take down the page right away until you know for sure you wont be selling these times anymore. Don't want to erase all the hard work in getting that URL index and ranking.

cz · #4 (**permalink**) 10-29-2007, 01:01 PM

tamecrow / incrediblehelp,

Thanks for the good advice. "Easy" IS the word - I do always delete or overwrite old page with new material. Not the best practises. I will take my time and see if I can find a supplier for the old product line. Not a huge seller but steady - and worth having a try at.

I have a Y! store and they only 301 redirect to the index page (pretty sure about that). Guess I'll leave them up until the last one sells and then put up the other type. I forgot to mention that the update wiped one PR point to te home page and one point to the sections - my item pages out from PR3 (at the buy button) to PR0 for about 30 products altogether went from PR3 to PR0.

I guess it doesn't matter now!

Thank you both!