Complete re-design

Discussion in 'Search Engine Optimization' started by burfieldstuff, Feb 21, 2009.

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  1. #1
    Hi.
    I have a website that is in need of a complete re-design. It currently has 1000`s of pages in the database and 1000`s of pages indexed. However the script is not quite user friendly and google has started to ignore it.

    My plan is to turn the website into a manual video upload site rather than have the current site script that takes content from youtube.
    It will be quite easy to utilise the existing keywords as the site model will remain the same, only the content will change.

    How would/should i go about bringing the changes into effect without causing a major upset in my sites ranking.
    Is there a procedure i can carry out in webmaster tools to inform the spiders to ignore all previous sitemap entrys and concentrate on the new. I do not want 1000`s of 404 errors. I need to start with a clean sheet.

    The site in question is Recession tv

    Thanks folks.
     
    burfieldstuff, Feb 21, 2009 IP
  2. burfieldstuff

    burfieldstuff Peon

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    #2
    If i were to use a temp redirect for @ 1 week while i sourced new content, would this be detrimental?

    If i used a custom 404 to tempt users to stay, or as an alternative, a link to youtube, because i owe them one. Should help?

    What can i do in webmaster tools to inform google that the old content is null and void?
     
    burfieldstuff, Feb 21, 2009 IP
  3. tim-buchalka

    tim-buchalka Active Member

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    #3
    It would be a better idea in my opinion to do all your development changes on another domain, and then switch it over when complete.

    So you would just mirror your site on a domain somewhere else, get it all tested and working, and then when you are ready copy it over.

    That's what I do whenever I am making changes. If you start messing with redirects, etc you may have problems with rankings.

    I would try and keep the same url's if possible, but worse case redirect to the equivalent new pages from your .htaccess file.

    Good luck.

    Cheers



    Tim
     
    tim-buchalka, Feb 21, 2009 IP
  4. burfieldstuff

    burfieldstuff Peon

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    #4
    That is exactly what i have just been doing.
    I have an unused domain that i have pulled out the locker, uploaded a bot banning robots.txt and am in the process of building.

    Thanks for the input tim, great minds and all that.

    Cheers
     
    burfieldstuff, Feb 21, 2009 IP
  5. xigmapro

    xigmapro Member

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    #5
    yes exactly ...same here
     
    xigmapro, Feb 21, 2009 IP
  6. burfieldstuff

    burfieldstuff Peon

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    #6
    Completed the change without probs.
    Search engines are now sorting the 200`s from the 404`s.

    New video site
     
    burfieldstuff, Mar 1, 2009 IP
  7. azraf

    azraf Member

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    #7
    you have to resubmit the url... clear the cache and make some few/simple change, and wait.
     
    azraf, Mar 1, 2009 IP