Hi guys, We have a site that we started marketing and got directory links for, and then we found out a competitor with a very similar name that we didn't check beforehand unfortunately. Given we want to turn the site into a webstore, we want the name to be unqiue so we got a new domain. The problem - we want to move the whole website content to the new domain, and then get all new directory links pointing to the new domain. What should we do with the old domain? I am afraid if we do a redirect google will see it as spamming? Plues we only marketed the domain with very litte investment... Energizer
Do a 301 redirect to the new domain, theirs nothing spammy about that... so long as you don't do it x 1000 domains or anything. Digital Point even has a few (maybe alot) of addresses redirected to it.
I had to do a similar exercise several weeks ago. I copied the site to the new domain, and replaced all pages on the old domain with redirects to the same pages on the new domain. No problems so far, and it seemed the most logical method of doing such a move.
Yes, a 301 redirect is the way to go. Then you're new site will be credited for the link building that you've already done. You'll also avoid any possible dupe content penalties.
Guys - One thing - I only got like 40 links pointing to this domain, so what I thought would be better is to contact some of the directories that have links to the old domain, and have them repoint them to the new domain and those that don't just resubmit (these were free directories) just submit the new domain. Then maybe after a month I could take the other domain name down? Energizer
It might take a lot more effort to contact all of the directories than it will to just submit the new domain. Most directories do no post any contact info. If you still have your confirmation e-mails, you could use those e-mail addresses. BTW, as mdvaldosta mentioned, the redirect MUST be a 301 redirect. Do not use the GoDaddy name forwarding feature or something similar. That is a 302 redirect, which is not correct.
What do you think about puting a 301 redirect on the old domain for a month and then taking it down - that should be enough to tell google that the original content on the new domain is not duplicate content correct? Energizer
Check www.google.com/webmasters There it is a tutorial about how to redirect a domain withou any penalization and after a while you're new site will be saw as the old one, with all those backlinks.
adresanet, I searched there but could only find this one: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=40151&query=new&topic=0&type=f which I am assuming is not the tutorial you are talking about? Energizer
adresanet may have been referring to: http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=34464
Add a permanet redirect and everything should be ok ! but keep it permanent! not temporaly redirect! and this is not all , if you set it, don't forgot that re-direct will remain into google mind for 3 months!