301 redirect

Is it appropriate

[JudgeJeffries]

I have a site that sells two related but different widgets.
Experience has shown that the publice prefers to deal with what it sees as a specialist in each type of widget.
I wish to split off widgetA from WidgetB by putting up a new site for WidgetB. Should I just delete WidgetB pages from the existing joint site or is a 301 redirect appropriate for the relevant pages when I get the second site up and running. Are there any problems envisaged by putting the 301 on just a few selected WidgetB pages to redirect to the newsite. Any time limit on how long I should leave the 301 in place before deleting the page.

[Dreamquick]

I just delete WidgetB pages from the existing joint site or is a 301 redirect appropriate for the relevant pages when I get the second site up and running.

1) Update the original links to point to the new site where possible.
2) Delete the old pages & redirect them to the new site.

This way your your users have an easy way to browse your site, by extension since theres a good user-oriented reason for it being there search engines shouldnt have any problems.

Are there any problems envisaged by putting the 301 on just a few selected WidgetB pages to redirect to the newsite.

We've all restructured our sites at some point, leaving a whole load of 301's in our wakes - so I'd suggest that there's no penalty for doing it.

However make your site link to the new site, this avoids forcing the user to make two requests (one to get the redirect and a second to get the content they wanted) ...and it's a little easier to average users to work out too!

Any time limit on how long I should leave the 301 in place before deleting the page.

Six months as a minimum - I'd suggest leaving them their indefinitely unless they cause some kind of performance hit.

- Tony

[JudgeJeffries]

Thanks Dreamquick, much appreciated