Changing URL - Pros &Cons?

We want to change to a shorter URL - but we have alot of work in the OLD

[shawn]

I hope this is the right forum for this question!

I currently have a domain name that is not really long but maybe easily confused with a competitors website if they forget one letter in the name.

I have a second doman name, which I use on my business cards and letter head etc that redirects to our current website. It's not cloaked so the URL changes in the browser URL window.

My question is this - if we move the current site from Awidget.com to easierwidget.com will we lose our page rank and back links?

Do we need to contact each linking website to change the URL?

Or could we then just have awidget.com redirect to easierwidget.com after the move?

My immediate thought is to leave well enough alone - if it isn't broke don't fix it?!

Shawn

[msr986]

I would just leave everything the way it is, IMHO. I don't think it is necessary to change the website over to the second URL. Users who follow links will probably never try to type in the URL manually; Users who found your URL in print will not care if they are redirected. Just make sure you are using a permanent redirect. This will keep all of your PR on your original URL, and avoid any chance of a duplicate content problem.

[CCowboy]

msr986

Are you talking about a 301 server redirect?

Also does a 301 redirect pass PR from the links of the redirected site to the destination site?

[rfgdxm1]

I'd say leave it alone, unless the all the links to the old domain can be easily and quickly switched to the new one. In the real world, this often isn't easy.

[msr986]

> Are you talking about a 301 server redirect?

Yes

> Also does a 301 redirect pass PR from the links of the redirected site to the destination site?

Yes, I have multiple URL's which redirect to one main URL. When I do a link: search in Google using one of the redirected URL's, it displays the results of the main URL. Google is pretty smart that way.

[bigace]

I just ran into this topic. I have experienced what you are asking about. If you use a permanant 301 redirect, the answers from my experience are:

Yes, the PR will pass through. Google knows how to do this.

Yes, you must ask the webmasters that link to you to change the URL or you will lose your links. Google doesn't know how to do this very well.

Problem: You will stay in the data base, but you will lose your spot in the SERPS. Will you ever get back to the top? Maybe if you get enough links changed, and your site is good enough, and you wait long enough.

Recommendation: Don't do it unless you have to. I had to and I still regret it.