Forum Moderators: Robert Charlton & goodroi
I started a new website several months ago on a "freeserver". I bought a domain name but re-directed traffic to my site stored on the freeserver. I added several links in/out as well as having it in several webrings. Within a week or so my site was ranked # 1 in Google for EXACTLY the keywords I had hoped it would! But Google had picked up the freeserver name and seemed to pretty much throw out my domain name in searches. Except for that minor issue, it was perfect and I was getting HIGH traffic...
Unfortunately I didn't "let it be". I bought web storage for the domain name thinking it would benefit me even more (no redirects AND my domain name is what I want people to search for). I was WRONG. Google says they still index my site, but I am completely OFF their search engine UNLESS I search directly FOR my domain name. Traffic has almost completely stopped. The only vistors I get now are from the webrings and links to my site--and a scattered few from other search engines. My site is still ranked # 1 or # 2 in Yahoo, AltaVista, Live, etc. They seem to have "thrown out" my freeserver name without a hitch and have embraced my domain name.
The only two problems I see is that for a month or so I left up the "freeserver" site--that is now down. Would Google boot me for having a dupe? The other factor is that I use a free web tracker...not sure that would hurt me as it was on my site when it was # 1 in rankings.
Will Google ever forgive me for the dupe site if that is the problem? Is having my domain name and info on several webrings hurting me? Or could having a web tracker stopping Google from picking me back up?
ANY help much appreciated...
Thank you for any help!
rivergirl
In the meantime, work on getting more relevant inbound links, improving/expanding your site's content, and fixing any potential URL canonicalization problems (do a search here).
Free and very-low-cost hosting is the most expensive you can buy...
Jim
