Should I Use Redirect?

[Bec]

I have a pretty large website (not porn) that I want to totally redo and have it more dynamic. Right now I hold like one of the 1-6 spots for most of the related search terms you'd use for the site.

Now, do I want to go buy a similiar domain name, and build the new info stucture on it (as moving all the content into new sections, etc will take a lot of time initially) and then redirect the old domain to the new one when it's complete ...

Or should I just somehow build the new site on the current domain and move it into the root (not sure how that'd work given I need to setup links, database etc).

My biggest worry is the 1000 plus pages indexed in google - and all those links changing at some point ... something I can't avoid if I do what I want with the site.

Suggestions?

[Harlan]

I would leave the set up as it, build the new site on a subdomain and the move it the root when it was all done

[Dzinerbear]

If you register a new domain, you're going to be faced with Google's aging filter, or the sandbox. Google doesn't admit to the existence of a sandbox, but SEO'ers are fairly confident that it's a reality.

Here's how we think the sandbox works. A new domain is indexed by Google, but the site is not served up to searchers for a number of months – 3 to 11 months, depending on the site and who you're talking to. So, if you register a new domain and move all of your existing stuff to it, you'll effectively kill your rankings on the old site. The new site will likely land in the sandbox, so you'll be stuck in both places.

The other conundrum is that if you drastically change the old site, you'll likely change your rankings as well, and maybe even throw you back in the sandbox while Google figures out what you're doing.

Can you do what I did on The Pig? Keep your site as is and create a sub-directory for your new project?

I'll e-mail gaystoryman and ask him to stop by with his thoughts.

Michael

[Chilihost]

I believe google prefers either 301 or 302 redirects, if you use those you can move your site with the least impact as possible. You will still lose some seo positioning, but if you really need to do this change (and I think this is the one we have been chatting about for the last year) then the one-time pain is probably worth it for the long term gain.

[Bec]

Well, it's a massive lesbian literature site, and right now to feature a new author, I have to build her area. I'm thinking of switching to something like blog hoster, so each author can add to, edit, create, her own "area" ... with the seo bennies of each area being a blog with the related pings, trackbacks and so on. Plus I want my own link directory and forum ... right now it uses the Bravenet freebies, which gives my domain absolutely no benefits from linklists, forum posts, etc.

[Bec]

Google and moving pages:
http://www.google.com/support/webmas...1&topic=&type=


Duplicate content:
http://www.ragepank.com/articles/43/duplicate-content/


How to redirect pages:
http://www.stevenhargrove.com/redirect-web-pages/

oh awesome!! I'll definately be reading those!! Thanks!!

[Dzinerbear]

Duplicate content can be avoided by simply having a extra line in your robot.txt file which tells google etc not to index a part of your website - for example the part which you are working on. I often build pages on my sever which i simply exclude from getting indexed using robot.txt file, when its ready to be listed on google i again allow it to be indexed.

Bjorn is right and I never even thought about the duplicate content issue. This robots.txt thing is a nice idea and should work in theory. But I have a domain where I've robots.txt'd some pages and told Google not to index them because they're duplicate pages, but it looks like I'm still getting dinged for having duplicate content. So I'm rather dubious about how effective robots.txt is.

Michael

[wnc]

Bec - reading the various replies thus far, I would think starting over with a new domain would be unwise.

Setting up the new site in a sub directory and then dropping it into the root to go live may cost slightly with the changes with the Engines, but you retain your bookmarkers, which are just as valuable.

[Bec]

Bec - reading the various replies thus far, I would think starting over with a new domain would be unwise.

Setting up the new site in a sub directory and then dropping it into the root to go live may cost slightly with the changes with the Engines, but you retain your bookmarkers, which are just as valuable.

That's a good point, and if I do this 301 thing for the htaccess, then no matter what page someone bookmarked, it should take them into the new system.

[Bec]

What a error 301 on a page does, is to tell a search engine spider (or browser) that a page has moved and redirects it to the new page. Its by far the safest way to change things around.

You need to enter any 301 redirects into your htaccess file, which can be a bit daunting if you have a lot of pages. But htaccess does allow for rules, so it might be possible to redirect everything with a single rule.

Oh I hope so! There's over a 1000 pages on it.

[gaystoryman]

Hi Bec

I just completely altered my site, similar to what you are planning. I went with 301 redirects, in the htaccess, as G does accept those. I am in the process of removing them, rather than leaving them in place. G does not like meta refresh pages, but seems okay with 301 redirects.

Your site already being listed, I'd not use a new domain. Too many risks with G, so while it would be easier to just use a new domain, keep the old, and build the new pages as you go, so as to keep the indexed pages alive in G.

my 2 cents :morning:

[Bec]

I just completely altered my site, similar to what you are planning. I went with 301 redirects, in the htaccess, as G does accept those. I am in the process of removing them, rather than leaving them in place. G does not like meta refresh pages, but seems okay with 301 redirects.

my 2 cents :morning:

Ok, you lost me here on this part ... what are you removing? the 301 or something else for a meta refresh??

[ponyboy]

Or should I just somehow build the new site on the current domain and move it into the root (not sure how that'd work given I need to setup links, database etc).


This sounds like the easiest way of doing it, sit back and think it throw

[gaystoryman]

SOme use a meta refresh to redirect surfers, i use 301's in the htaccess, delete the pages no longer being shown, or which have been replaced.

[IdolKnights]

Why not buy the 2nd domain and just build a new site?

In mainstream, it's normal to have 4 or 5 sites that look nothing alike. With the same inventory and at different price points.

Jane doe may not like site 1 and 2 but she will trust site 3, not knowing it's all the same shit.