Hi, I am redesigning a web site from HTML and CSS to PHP using a MySQL database and CSS for styling. What problems may I encounter with PHP and Search Engines. Currently the web site ranks on the first page for the main products at the web site, which I want the new PHP site to do also or even rank higher! Obviously, the HTML pages have been online for over 1 year so the PHP pages might struggle for a number of months, I think. Do search engines 'understand' a site is being redeveloped when it finds both HTML and PHP versions of web pages? When should I delete the old site? How can I achieve high rankings with the new site? I intend to use the .htaccess file and Mod Rewrite to alter the URLS from standard PHP pages to more search engine friendly ones. What advice can you give? Matt.
You should delete the old site and use htaccess to do 301 redirects from the old URLs to the new ones (if they aren't the same) thus the new pages will rank the same as the old pages (assuming there is no difference in the HTML they output). There is no inherient advantages or disadvantages of using serverside programming against flat HTML files though of cause how you impliment it can make a difference.
Are you suggesting I should use Mod Rewrite to call pages .htm?? I was intending to Mod Rewrite pages to something like www.site.co.uk/product.php/ProductName This would mean the pages would not have the same ranking as the old files/pages!?? Matt.
It makes no difference what so ever as long as you put in some redirects using htaccess. PHP is processed on the web server before anyone or anything (Search engine bots included) even get to see the code.
Is an option, the other is to use 301 redirects so that you can use your new naming structure... Redirect 301 theoldfile.html thenewfile.php Code (markup): That way your new PHP pages get the same SEO as the old HTML ones did