moving domains names

I've bought a new domain and want to move my site to it

[digininja]

I've bought a new domain which is very similar but simplier than my existing domain. I want to keep both domains going but try to move traffic towards the new one.

I could just put a redirect on the old one but I've been told that you can get penalised if google thinks that you have a site with a similar domain which is purely there to redirect traffic (I'm sure this has a propper name but can't think of it).

What is the best way to do this without getting penalized by google or the other engines?

[Galtego]

A permanent redirect from the old to the new is the way to go. For Apache, a one-line .htaccess file in the document root of the old server:

Redirect permanent / httpcoloncolonslashnewsite/

Requesters are immediately delivered content from the new server (you can see the URL in the location bar flip over to it - and check it with a search engine friendly redirect checker) - no duplicate content penalty.

[digininja]

Thats the way I would have done it but didn't know if that was search engine friendly.

Thanks for the confirmation.

[Galtego]

Correction of my post above, I meant to write:
httpcolon//www.newsite.com/ (I was trying to indicate a generic full URL without activating a hotlink). Good thread here: [webmasterworld.com...]

[digininja]

Ye, I got the idea, thanks. I'll have a read of the other article