Changing domain name and SEO issues

domain name change

[rakkyd]

Hi all,

I do not profess to being an expert but some of the advice I have read on here has enabled me to do well in many search engines. However, after some serious consideration I have decided to re-launch my site under a different brand and domain name.

Just after some advice on the best way to run this. Should I keep the old site and build lots of links from my pages to my new one while I perform some SEO and backward links to the new site, or setup a redirection straight to the new site. If so what is the best way to re-direct and how will this affect the ranking of my original?

I am happy to leave the old site there as long as required.

Any advice is very welcome.

regards
Ray

[OrlandoTodd]

If the old site has a lot of links and traffic, I'd go with "keep the old site and build lots of links from my pages to my new one while I perform some SEO and backward links to the new site".

If you just redirect the site, you'll loose all that work. You can check the reverse links and start requesting they update their link to your new site and then as the new site builds up, you can reevaluate the importance of the old site. But really, it can co-exist as another store-front on the internet.

Good luck.