Converting .asp to extensionless url's with SEO

[pcbliss]

Background: Up until a couple of years ago we had paid an SEO consultant to build our site ranking. We had done fairly well when the consultant disappeared. Over the last couple of years we have slipped and lost a lot of our good ranking, but not all.

I have just finished as significant content update to our site. For our next round of evolution, we want to convert the site from ASP to ASP.NET. We also want to start investing again in our SEO.

Prior to making that change, I want to switch to friendly URL's and extensionless URL's. I have played around with the Microsoft URL Rewrite module and I think I understand how to create extensionless URL's, but how can I do that and transfer SEO to the new URL's?

Once that has been done, I am assuming I can swap to the new .aspx pages using the URL Rewrite rules?

[defanjos]

I think I understand how to create extensionless URL's, but how can I do that and transfer SEO to the new URL's?

In addition to the rewrite, you will have to 301 redirect the old urls to the new ones.

[g1smd]

I have played around with the Microsoft URL Rewrite module and I think I understand how to create extensionless URL's, but how can I do that and transfer SEO to the new URL's?

URLs are created in links so you need to link to the URLs that you want users to "see" and "use".

A Rewrite "creates" nothing. What it actually does, is route incoming URL requests after the link is clicked to fetch the content from the non-default internal server path defined by the rewrite, instead of from the server path hinted at in the original URL request.

To finish up, you need a redirect from old to new URL so that users trying to access those old URLs from browser bookmarks, links in old forum posts, and from stale results in SERPs end up on the new URL for the content.