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Example of old site: cityname/cityname.htm
Example of new site: great_cities/cityname/index.html
My question is, When can i delete the old page and the site from the server? I am about to finish setting up the .htaccess file with all the redirects, and i want to get rid of the old pages ASAP because they are duplicate pages to another site. Can i just delete them once i do the redirect?
I would run both site in parallel for a while so that the new site gets indexed and it goes thru a PR update.
Only then would I delete the old pages.
Remember, since the site is ~ 7 years old there will be no "sand box" effect.
Also, I would use a Google Site Map with both site's URLs in it. Then run that for a couple on indexes.
There should not be a "duplicate content" penality due to the redesign.
Just don't go so fast that you lose the PR and existing SERPs you have.
Good luck
Jim Catanich
But do you mean to say that the content should be rewritten for the entire site if they would run two sites in parallel?
Is there a way to check the redirect for all the URLs in one go or do we need to check individually for all the pages one by one.
I am an old-fashioned coward, and check mine one by one.
Just a suggestion. The old site has been indexed and PR given to it. The minute you implement the 301, that PR will be removed. And if the file name have been changed in any way, you will also lose the indexing.I would run both site in parallel for a while so that the new site gets indexed and it goes thru a PR update.
Wouldn't Google et al see that as spamming? I thought it was a big SE no-no to have spiderable duplicate content on a site.
I am keenly interested in this. I have page one ranking for most of my key words, but need to re-structure.
Not because they are not needed or shouldn't be used, but they are at the base of most of the games that are taking place. And as such, the SE will be looking at it.
Now having redesigned many sites, I would make the following suggestion. Keep the orginal one only and update it with the changes. To go to the second site, add 301s, and run two parallel site is just asking for trouble. I have been burned on this many times.
But by keeping the first site in tact, you keep the indexing and PR in place. Even if you make major changes to it, like a new template format, or different menus, the redesign will not generate a penalty.
Usually, the webmaster will put the two sites on the same IP address (sub-net). All SE see this as SPAM or duplicate content. This will give you a PR2 instead of a PR4 site. And even if you host each site on different web hosts, the SE will see it. And it they don't, one of your competitors will and issue a complaint to Google.
What I now do is keep the old site in tact and add the new content/design to it but in different sub-directories (keyword named). Then use the navigation to connect the new pages to the old site where needed. If you apply a top-down design concept, you will get a "new site" look and feel.
Then leave the old pages in place for ~ 6 months before removing them from the site.
Finally, by using a Site Map with real "last modified" dates included (XML version), you will keep the PR intact and get the new pages indexed.
Just a heads up, don't cross link between the old and new. When you remove the old, it will have a major impact on the PR.
My site has had 4 major changes made to it over the past 5 years, and I haven't remove the old pages yet. This is not for "more pages", it is just that I'm lazy. Google has just stopped indexing them. But the PR has not been impacted. Also, the new page indexing takes place twice as fast this way.
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But if you must keep the two sites, keep the cross link way down (25 links max). I had a 8,000 page site that cross linked to the new 8,000 pages. Trust me, the SE really didn't like that.
Put the new site's home page up there ASAP but hold off on the other pages until all the pages are designed and navigation has been tested. Only then do you submit the complete site (via Site Map) to Google. The first index Google make to a new site via a site map is the deepest you will get for some time. This is the best way I have found for you to get the "deep index", otherwise, it may take Google 6 months to get around to it.
Hope this helps,
Jim Catanich
I have also had pages that are #1 in the SERPs and had to redesign the navigation (structure). Ranking is based on the content of the page, so moving it around via navigation is ok.
But, if you move it to a new location (sub-directory etc), you will rename the url. The result will be the loss of PR and Ranking.
Therefore, I leave the pages in place and just connect them by navigation.
Just be very careful on anything that may rename the url. That will reset everything.
The best example I know of is the old MIVA shopping cart. The programmers at MIVA changed the extension from MV to MVC. And as their customer base upgraded the site, all sites were reset (destroyed). This is one of the classic "DUMB MOVES" this industry has had. Or how to kill off your installed base.
Jim Catanich
