I currently have the url lets-do-diy.co.uk and it has a 301 that redirects to lets-do-diy.com. All my backlinks are aimed at the .com URL. If I swap round my urls and have lets-do-diy.com 301 redirecting to lets-do-diy.co.uk. Will I lose all my backlinks that I have created over the past 6 months or will they pass over to the .co.uk url because the .com is redirecting to this URL?
Interesting. Since you have been building the links for the last 6 mths it may possibly be an established site in Google's eyes. If it is past the sandboxing period then it is possible to use a redirect - but I doubt the links will pass over to your .co.uk - it is your .com that will still rank for those backlinks. I haven't seen this done yet with a 301 redirect tho', only a javscript redirect. Proof of this; Google: commission blueprint The top result is using a javascript redirect. It was registered in 2006 and was an established content site before changing to a redirect.
Thanks. Maybe its best I don't transfer the domain yet and wait and see if i can get it high in the UK.
where is the .com hosted - UK or US? I've found that it's not as important that a domain is .com or .co.uk but more important that it is on a UK server with UK related backlinks. I will use a .uk domain where necessary tho' - i.e. where there is tougher competition in the search engines.
It was hosted in Germany, (1&1 hosting), but now it is hosted in the UK. It has been in the UK for about 3 week but I am yet to see a change. Hopefully it will update in 3 months time.