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Search Engine Optimization Forum SEO is much easier with help from peers and experts! The WebProWorld SEO forum is for the discussion and exploration of various search engine optimization topics. Any non (engine) specific SEO or SEM topics should go here.

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  #1 (permalink)  
Old 10-07-2007, 11:30 AM
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Default New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

I own a boxing website, BoxSch.com. This site is a Boxing Schedule database that includes boxing records etc… I’ve only been live for 10 months. I receive 50,000 people a month. I have the top rankings on Y&G for “Boxing Schedule” “Boxing Schedule 2007”, “Pro Boxing Schedule” and many other keywords. I just brought proboxingschedule.com . I would like to permanently change my domain from boxsch.com to proboxingschedule.com. However I don’t want to lose my ranking.

I’ve be doing a lot of research on 301 redirect and mod-rewrite. I cannot find a step by step tutorial on how to implement this.

Some questions:
Do I change my domain with my hosting company then redirect old to new? Or do I set up the new domain as a new website and redirect the old to new?

Is it worth it? I already have top ranking, I’ve just doing this for re-branding.

Do I risk losing my rankings altogether or just for a short period of time?

Thanks for your time
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  #2 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 04:47 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

301 Redirect

301 redirect is the most efficient and Search Engine Friendly method for webpage redirection. It's not that hard to implement and it should preserve your search engine rankings for that particular page. If you have to change file names or move pages around, it's the safest option. The code "301" is interpreted as "moved permanently".

IIS Redirect

* In internet services manager, right click on the file or folder you wish to redirect
* Select the radio titled "a redirection to a URL".
* Enter the redirection page
* Check "The exact url entered above" and the "A permanent redirection for this resource"
* Click on 'Apply'

ColdFusion Redirect
<.cfheader statuscode="301" statustext="Moved permanently">
<.cfheader name="Location" value="http://www.new-url.com">

PHP Redirect
<?
Header( "HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently" );
Header( "Location: http://www.new-url.com" );
?>

ASP Redirect
<%@ Language=VBScript %>
<%
Response.Status="301 Moved Permanently";
Response.AddHeader("Location","http://www.new-url.com/");
%>

ASP .NET Redirect
<script runat="server">
private void Page_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
Response.Status = "301 Moved Permanently";
Response.AddHeader("Location","http://www.new-url.com");
}
</script>

JSP (Java) Redirect
<%
response.setStatus(301);
response.setHeader( "Location", "http://www.new-url.com/" );
response.setHeader( "Connection", "close" );
%>

CGI PERL Redirect
$q = new CGI;
print $q->redirect("http://www.new-url.com/");

Ruby on Rails Redirect
def old_action
headers["Status"] = "301 Moved Permanently"
redirect_to "http://www.new-url.com/"
end

Redirect Old domain to New domain (htaccess redirect)

Create a .htaccess file with the below code, it will ensure that all your directories and pages of your old domain will get correctly redirected to your new domain.
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed)

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.newdomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

Please REPLACE www.newdomain.com in the above code with your actual domain name.

In addition to the redirect I would suggest that you contact every backlinking site to modify their backlink to point to your new website.

Note* This .htaccess method of redirection works ONLY on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.

Redirect to www (htaccess redirect)

Create a .htaccess file with the below code, it will ensure that all requests coming in to domain.com will get redirected to www.domain.com
The .htaccess file needs to be placed in the root directory of your old website (i.e the same directory where your index file is placed)

Options +FollowSymlinks
RewriteEngine on
rewritecond %{http_host} ^domain.com [nc]
rewriterule ^(.*)$ http://www.domain.com/$1 [r=301,nc]

Please REPLACE domain.com and www.newdomain.com with your actual domain name.

Note* This .htaccess method of redirection works ONLY on Linux servers having the Apache Mod-Rewrite moduled enabled.

How to Redirect HTML

Please refer to section titled 'How to Redirect with htaccess', if your site is hosted on a Linux Server and 'IIS Redirect', if your site is hosted on a Windows Server.

More info is on the link below.

301 Redirect - How to create Redirects
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  #3 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 05:20 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Start with both domains pointing at the same content. Easiest way to achieve this is to update your DNS server to point to the same IP / Content area.

Then use a 301 redirect to rewrite inquiries for your old domain to the new domain.

Then you don't have to change anything else.

I have done this with solid results at a current large medical website that used to have three different domains pointing to it. Due to old inbound links with the old URL's this is definately the way to handle this.

Most importantly, leave these redirects in place for at least 6 months, if not permanently based on links to your site from other domains.

By doing this, the engines will update to the new domain name, and you shouldn't lose any of the current traffic you are receiving.
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  #4 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 06:19 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Currently nothing on your new domain is indexed and everything on your existing domain is.
If you simply switch content from one domain to another it's going to take quite a bit a time to get things fully indexed on the new site through 301.
During this time you will see a loss of rankings

I would suggest rebuilding the old site onto the new site, but with enough change and originality that you won't trigger the Dupe Spam filters. And allow your new site to get indexed.

The result of this will be the same as using 301 except you will experience no down time, no loss of ranking
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Old 10-09-2007, 06:34 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

There are some examples for Mod Rewrite and 301 redirection on my blog at these links:

The Cotton Club » Blog Archive » Using mod_rewrite in Apache
Microsoft Developers Blog: Cotton Rohrscheib: 301 Redirection for SEO Advantages...

Funny thing is that I haven't gotten around to putting ModRewrite in place myself yet.
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  #6 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 06:53 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

craig...pointing the new domain to the current content and implementing redirects will not result in a loss of traffic...i know this from specific experience on a large scale site.

building a new site will take far greater time and effort than you are outlining and is probably not a realistic option for most clients.

by leaving the old domain live, but redirecting the current content will be updated in all major engines much more quickly than the solution you are suggesting
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  #7 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 06:55 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

craigmn3 are you telling me that if I implement what weslinda is telling me that I will lose rankings for a while? So I should have 2 websites for a while…allow the SERPs to index the new domain then 301 the old to new?


BTW, thanks everyone for the help.
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  #8 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 07:13 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

I think weslinda has it right.
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  #9 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 08:02 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

weslinda:

you've done this before? And no lost in traffic or ranking right? From what i've been researching, weslinda, option is what most other seo experts suggest.

so if i implement the 301 redirect all i have to do is redirect

Pro Boxing Schedule 2007 to www.proboxingschedule.com coming soon! and all my links like

HBO Boxing Schedule 2007

will be

www.proboxingschedule.com coming soon!

I don't have to redirect this in the 301?
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  #10 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 09:31 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Quote:
Originally Posted by quitano View Post
craigmn3 are you telling me that if I implement what weslinda is telling me that I will lose rankings for a while? So I should have 2 websites for a while…allow the SERPs to index the new domain then 301 the old to new?


BTW, thanks everyone for the help.

No, you will not lose ranking by using re-direction.

And, since all you are trying to accomplish is re-branding, there's no valid reason for putting any effort into re-building what's already built.

And, if your host provides for such, just logon to your account, and use the forwarding feature to re-direct the new domain to the existing one. It's the quickest & easiest way to accomplish the task.

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  #11 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 09:49 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Everyone thanks for the help. I'll let you know it goes.
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  #12 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 10:08 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

As long as you are changing nothing but the domain name, then you are perfectly fine with the action I've discussed.

Better yet, anyone that has bookmarked your old domain, or has links on a page to your old domain, all of those links and actions will still work.

Rewrite old domain to new, and needn't do anything else.
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Old 10-09-2007, 10:53 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Quote:
Originally Posted by weslinda View Post
As long as you are changing nothing but the domain name, then you are perfectly fine with the action I've discussed.

Better yet, anyone that has bookmarked your old domain, or has links on a page to your old domain, all of those links and actions will still work.

Rewrite old domain to new, and needn't do anything else.
Do you not mean "rewrite new domain to old?"

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  #14 (permalink)  
Old 10-09-2007, 10:56 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

no...he's going from one domain to another...rewrite/redirect old to new. but it's easily misunderstood.

I'd also make sure that a rewrite is in place to guarantee either .domain.com or www.domain.com but not allowing both.
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  #15 (permalink)  
Old 10-10-2007, 06:10 AM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Weslinda is right!
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  #16 (permalink)  
Old 10-10-2007, 10:17 AM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

I agree with craigmn3
You will not get the same ranking if you just redirect the URL and shut down the old site.
It takes time to get back on track in a term of ranking with a new name. I would suggest doing it slowly. Add the fresh content to a new web site and make sure it does not fully dublicate the content of existing one.
Also, keep in mind that if you took care about linking from other web sites, you will have to go back and ask all of your sponsors to correct (or better add!) a new link. You may be good with keywords but PR matters.
On another note, as it was mentioned above, if you host the site on Apache web server, just use the control panel and set the 301 redirect there (no coding is required!).

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  #17 (permalink)  
Old 10-10-2007, 10:22 AM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

I disagree with *weslinda* due to the fact that I experienced a problem with ranking when I simply used 301 redirect. The fact is that some of the search engines don't like any redirections - it can be a signature of spamming. Therefore, the ranking is dropping down...
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  #18 (permalink)  
Old 10-10-2007, 11:49 AM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Recent case in point:

Penn State University's Athletic Department just recently moved from gopsusports.com to gopsusports.cstv.com with no loss of ranking being evidenced, even though the content at the new domain is not wholly identical to that of the old.
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Old 10-10-2007, 05:02 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

I agree with zbatia - if you use 301 you will lose rankings for a while at least (I have experienced this)..

However - if you leave the old site exactly as it is and use the control panel provided by your host to redirect the new domain name to the old domain site - you will not lose rankings BUT all existing old links and references in Google etc will remain..

e.g. if you type in 'irishviews.com' into your address bar - you will see the 'ni-photos.jmcwd.com' web site - so I can use 'irishviews' for branding - but the actual web site is STILL ni-photos.jmcwd.com - so this is not a complete solution...

(Or have I misunderstood?)
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Old 10-10-2007, 05:25 PM
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Default Re: New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

Quote:
Originally Posted by jordanmcclements View Post
I agree with zbatia - if you use 301 you will lose rankings for a while at least (I have experienced this)..

However - if you leave the old site exactly as it is and use the control panel provided by your host to redirect the new domain name to the old domain site - you will not lose rankings BUT all existing old links and references in Google etc will remain..

e.g. if you type in 'irishviews.com' into your address bar - you will see the 'ni-photos.jmcwd.com' web site - so I can use 'irishviews' for branding - but the actual web site is STILL ni-photos.jmcwd.com - so this is not a complete solution...

(Or have I misunderstood?)
The latter is in fact precisely what I proposed as the best solution.

Also, using a 301 to re-direct the new domain name to the old should have precisely the same effect.

As for the loss of ranking when doing a 301 from the old to the new, there seems to be a bit of contradictory evidence in hand. As I've elsewhere noted, Penn State just recently employed such with their very large Atheletic Dept.'s site, with no visible penalty; others here have reported similar experiences.

Still, there are those who claim to have had negative consequences. The problem in these instances is that we've no evidence that the use of a 301 was the only change.

And, from Google itself, we have explicit statements encouraging the use of 301s.

Very curious indeed.

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