Moving content off a penalized domain... Best approach?

[johnnie]

I have a domain that somehow made it into google's trashcan. I have filed up to ten reconsideration requests, but google seems completely oblivious to the solid content it hosts. I now regard the domain as a loss, but refuse to believe that all the work I spent on its content is in vain.

What is the best way to safely transfer content from a penalized domain to another domain? I'm not going to 301 he old domain to the new or something, but I just want to make sure I don't carry the penalty along with my content..

[tedster]

One critical question is whether you were penalized for the content itself, or for another site-related factor such as anchor text around the site, or for off-site factors including the backlink profile.

Another question would be the very basic - is the current site actually penalized or perhaps just ranking poorly.

If you feel you've got those answers nailed down, and the content itself is not problematic (in other words, it's unique, valuable to a visitor and not keyword stuffed or otherwise written for search engines alone) then you might well consider building out a new domain to hold this content, just to give it a fresh start.

[edited by: tedster at 7:06 am (utc) on July 4, 2009]

[tangor]

tedster gives excellent advice. I'd take it one step further in stripping the content away from existing code to all new presentation. This ensures you don't take along anything hidden which MIGHT have prompted the drop in the first place. Depends on the content, the amount, and time available.

[johnnie]

Tedster,

The current site is definately penalized; a 'domain'-search (minus dot-tld part) puts it top-spot, page #5...

Most likely the penalty is due to offsite factors, since I have done some less-than-honorable 'linkbuilding' (excessive sitewide crosslinking etc.) in the past. Very stupid, since I actually ruined some good and lengthy content with it. Since my ten (!) reconsideration requests have gone unanswered, I consider the domain a loss and want to move on... WITH the content if at all possible.

Would it be too risky to host the content on an existing domain? Parts of it would fit very well into a separate subsection of one of my other sites. Or would that carry over the penalty to the other domain?

[tedster]

I've heard some success stories about such a move, but I'd be hesitant to predict in any specific case.