Domain name change, 301 Redirect & SEO Implications - Help!

[DVDStar]

Hi all,

A company I work for is currently working on a major re-branding exercise which will see all of their sites take on a common look and feel.

They are considering completely redeveloping the site, getbiz, and are toying with the idea of changing the domain name. The site does not boast any major search engine positions, but is a PR3 site which is at least something, and also has quite a large number of links.

I’ve read a fair bit about using some form of redirect, I think a 301 !?, which I’ve read will transfer over the links and page rank to the new domain.

My question is - is this a good thing, or are there any good / compelling reasons why I shouldn’t do this. Likewise are there and good / compelling reasons why it would be a really good idea, as it helps the new domain? Will the new domain automatically start off as a PR3 site if I use a redirect of this nature.

If I can get together some good advise then I’m going to bundle it up and add it to a “seo beginners” / “seo tips” topic on my blog seo for biz.

------------------------------------------
Dave

[jawn_tech]

Hi DVDStar and welcome to WPW.

A 301 redirect will tell search engines it is a permanent redirect. It's the preferred redirect method, while other types can actually get your site in 'trouble' (even a ban from Google, in some cases).

You can set it up in a .htaccess file in the root directory of your site.

All benefits coming from the old domain will be passed to the new domain, generally speaking, in theory.

There are exceptions, but over time that should be the effect.

[babychicken4u2]

If you choose to change the domain name, I would suggest that although it pretty much all comes out in the wash that you should have very valid reason for disrupting an established web site.

So, yes even a low ranking PR3 should be 301'd to the new domain, as yes this will resolve your authority, trust, links and PR to the new. However, this does not mean your new site will start as PR3.. I have seen some take 6 months to transfer.

The length of time for the transfer of these metrics is very dependent on the "old domain's" authority, trust,and crawl rate. I would advise that you stay very relevant to the old site's theme for the best results and that you immediately begin a good link building campaign for the new domain at launch.

Just a note, most registrar's redirects are not a true 301 and will not suffice for this purpose... Park the domain in your account or leave it where is is if you have the slots and do a proper 301 redirect as a 302 does not cut it.

~Melanie

[manimal99]

I was happy when i seen this posted, as im trying to redirect a few pages, and have tried createing and uploading a .htaccess file , but cant seem to get it to work. Does it work instantly ?
Im hopeing maybe someone could post alink to an easy, dummyproof, method ?
Thanks

[bj]

This topic was covered pretty recently and thoroughly here:

SEO consequences of a website relaunch

[Linknz]

Originally Posted by DVDStar

Hi all,

A company I work for is currently working on a major re-branding exercise which will see all of their sites take on a common look and feel.

Dave

Hi Dave a 301 redirect would work the best our search engines webspider would automatically note and then index your redirection with no worries and so it would work out quite well doing that.
Ages ago I seem to recall the subject of some search engines having what was called a "Sandbox" which acted as a further filter for new domains, this may be worth looking into if the new domain name you may well change over to may be a new registration and this may affect your positions within some search engines results so it may be worth you looking into this a little more.

All the very best wishes
Dave Andrews
from the LinkNZ search engine.

[jawn_tech]

Originally Posted by manimal99

I was happy when i seen this posted, as im trying to redirect a few pages, and have tried createing and uploading a .htaccess file , but cant seem to get it to work. Does it work instantly ?
Im hopeing maybe someone could post alink to an easy, dummyproof, method ?
Thanks

Actually the method to use depends on the hosting platform you're using. There are .htaccess, php, and other types of ways to implement a 301 redirect.

I just found this page on Google that shows a few you could use. 301 Redirect - How to create Redirects

Here's also a faq page from my company that could also explain... How Do I Use a 301 Redirect Page? - Help Center—Knowledge Base and FAQ

[brucet]

If your new site has the same structure as the old - the same page and directory names for the same content - you can simply redirect the domain and all the URLs will be mapped to the new one. Otherwise you will have to create a separate redirect for each page, which will be a lot of work if the site is large.

Initially the new pages will probably not show any page rank at all in the Google toolbar, but your rankings in the search listings will be retained - which is what really matters. Your existing links will be credited to the new site.

[inertia]

As bj says, we chatted about this for ages on this thread: SEO consequences of a website relaunch

I think its worth saying though... if you can keep the domain the same then do. If no then the advice given about 301 redirects is the best course of action. But do this during your clients quietest period because you might see a drop in SERPs as the index re-aligns.

I was happy when i seen this posted, as im trying to redirect a few pages, and have tried createing and uploading a .htaccess file , but cant seem to get it to work. Does it work instantly ?

I had a similar problem when first using htaccess on my site. It turned out to be the server. htaccess works on Linux Apache servers - NOT windows. Give your hosting company a ring and find out. For me it was simply a case of asking them to move my site to one of their linux servers. When its setup right... it works instantly.

[PixelPusher]

Most facts have been mentioned, maybe it is noteworthy that MSN still seems to have problems with 301-Redirects. Or anyone have news about that?

[DVDStar]

Ok, thanks you every one for your input.

Another thing I was thinking about last night is whether it makes sense to launch the new domain, work on SEO for this site for say a few weeks / months while having the old domain, getbiz, still live and active.

Then when the new site is truly up and running, then implement the 301 redirects from the old domain? I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot by having the old domain suddenly disappear if the new domain will not instantly benefit from the effects of a 301.

I've also written a section on redirects based on your input, at my blog seo for biz. Hopefully other people will find this of use some time.
-------------------------------------------
Dave

[jordanmcclements]

Also covered in this thread:-

New Domain SEO 301 Redirects

and here is the official Google take on it:-

Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Best practices when moving your site

[inertia]

Originally Posted by DVDStar

Another thing I was thinking about last night is whether it makes sense to launch the new domain, work on SEO for this site for say a few weeks / months while having the old domain, getbiz, still live and active.

Then when the new site is truly up and running, then implement the 301 redirects from the old domain? I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot by having the old domain suddenly disappear if the new domain will not instantly benefit from the effects of a 301.

If you check the thread that me and bj posted a link for you will see that this option is recommended by a few people. But one problem that this may present is duplicate content?

[rudy102]

A proper 301 redirect for ASP has worked well for a site that had several domain names in the past. If you do use one of the 301 redirect methods, it may be a good idea to check it with a server HTTP Header checker tool to confirm that it is working properly.

[manimal99]

Thanks all ! much apprieciated

[seoprodigy]

Originally Posted by babychicken4u2

If you choose to change the domain name, I would suggest that although it pretty much all comes out in the wash that you should have very valid reason for disrupting an established web site.

So, yes even a low ranking PR3 should be 301'd to the new domain, as yes this will resolve your authority, trust, links and PR to the new. However, this does not mean your new site will start as PR3.. I have seen some take 6 months to transfer.

The length of time for the transfer of these metrics is very dependent on the "old domain's" authority, trust,and crawl rate. I would advise that you stay very relevant to the old site's theme for the best results and that you immediately begin a good link building campaign for the new domain at launch.

Just a note, most registrar's redirects are not a true 301 and will not suffice for this purpose... Park the domain in your account or leave it where is is if you have the slots and do a proper 301 redirect as a 302 does not cut it.

~Melanie

When you say "most registrar's redirects are not a true 301" does this include Godaddy?

[babychicken4u2]

Yes Godaddy's redirect, even if you choose 301 in most cases is read as a 302. Ideally you need to park the domain in your hosting account and redirect it.

~Melanie

[seoprodigy]

I never knew that...thanks for the heads up on that. Godaddy is making me happier and happier I tell ya.....