Is it time to start over with link building?

Site changed domain name to to one using 3rd level domain

[christine]

This is one of those questions where I think I know the answer but it's so daunting I want it to be wrong. I have a client that has a site with really primo incoming links. They recently decided to go with a 3rd level domain name for their parent company. So now they are known as littlecompany.bigcompany.com instead of www.littlecompany.com.

There is a redirect from www.littlecompany.com to the new canonical name, so the old www only exists in old links. Can the new canonical inherit any of the old links - what I mean is will Google give the new site the credit for all the links from the old www site or do we need to start all over again?

The new name is showing the same number of links in Google as the new canonical name when I do a link query there. Will this continue or is this a temporary situation?

I'm hoping that the old links are somehow forwarded on to the new site, but my realistic side says it's too early for Christmas.

Your insights would be very appreciated,

Christine

[cayleyv]

sorry - link popularity is not "forwarded" to a new domain name. changing from a tld to a subdomain will unfortunately cause you to loose all PR for old links.

[paynt]

Welcome to Webmasterworld, both christine and cayleyv.

I've noticed a bit of a grace period while you change over if you use the redirect. Sometimes it's a great opportunity to reconnect with link partners or people linking and update anchor text, placement, etc.