Changing domain name - 301 re-direct question

Hi Guys,

I have a website with around 1000 pages hosted on a domain name but now I have acquired another TLD and want to host my website on the other domain, I believe 301 redirects are the way to go but I have following queries

1) Should I take down the website from Domain 1 or should I keep it on there too?

2) Should the redirect be for all 1000 pages individually or just the home page?

Can anybody let me know what is the right procedure for doing so?

 

You will need to continue to host the old domain.

You typically want to redirect ALL URLs on the old domain to the corresponding URLs on the new domain. This will help get all of your old URLs deindexed and replaced in the indexes with your new URLs. It will also transfer credit for inbound links to the old URLs over to the corresponding new URLs. I say "typically" because IF you're site is being filtered or penalized by Google, 301 redirecting those old URLs will usually transfer the filter or penalty over to your new domain. So if you have bought a new domain to "start over" because you're being filtered (Panda, Penguin, etc.) or penalized by Google, I would suggest that you NOT 301 redirect at all.

You have to continue to host the old domain for as long as you want the new domain to get credit for the old domain's inbound links. Typically this is forever.

If your domain is hosted on a Linux/Apacha platform then you can add the following few lines to the .htaccess in the root of the OLD domain's web site to redirect EVERY old domain URL to the EXACT SAME URL path on the new domain:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /

RewriteRule (*.) http://www.newdomain.tld/$1 [R=301, L]

The above assumes that the PATH portion of the URLs remained the same on the new sight as they were on the old.

 

Hey thanks Canonical for such a detailed answer just one more thing my old website it doesn't have much traffic from search engines so is it advisable to go for 301 redirects or should I just take down the first domain and host the website on the second one, my only concern is if there are two pages with identical content (domain 1 & 2) won't Google term it as duplicate content?

 

As said earlier, if have bought new domain because you were penalized then don't redirect your old urls.

If they are not penalized, and you want your old traffic to your new TLD, then in that case you can add a canonical tag on your old urls pointing your new URL's.

 

Okay that means having the same content on two different websites with 301 re-directs won't be an issue?

 

Yup, if you will use canonical tag it wont be an issue.

 

Don't redirect the 1000 pages ... are you changing your domain name if yes then 301 all 1000 pages to that new domain name.