Forum Moderators: phranque
My name is Peter and from reading some of your posts I realize you might be open to answer a simple question for me:
I am beginning webmaster and realize a lot of confusion and hype around the topic of SEO.
A client had me put in this domain forwarding:
"old_domain.com" ===========forwarded by way of putting a java script on the index page of the old domain========>"new_ domain.com"
I used a javascript and put it on the index page.
Now he believs that google considers such URL RE-DIRECT SPAM, which I don't believe is accurate, is it?
A SEO company has apparently told my client that there is a difference between domain re-directs on the registrar's server level vs. a re-direct at the host server level. Do you believe that is accurate? Here is the script I use on the index page of the "old domain":
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.2">
<!--//
document.location.href = 'http://www.newdomain.com';
// End -->
</script>
Do you have any suggestions on what to tell my client to put his mind at ease?
How can I learn about what a "redirect 302" is?
Sincerely,
Peter Reck
[edited by: oilman at 11:19 pm (utc) on June 9, 2003]
The general belief around here is that if you are redirecting an old domain to a new domain a 302 or 301 is the best way to go about it. If you have access to your htaccess file you can drop this line into it:
RedirectMatch permanent (.*) [newdomain.com...]
There are other ways to do it as well but I've used the above method for awhile now with not problems.
Thank you for your kind response, and your editing out of my www.reference.
It is now clear that the code status 301 is the solution of choice. - I have a reseller hosting account, that comes with a WHM (webhostmanager) control panel,where the domain specific functions are controled.
There is also a CONTROLPANEL labelled cpanel, which is the place from where many host related functions can be controlled.
I went into the WHM and discovered under DNS Functions this choice:
--------------------
DOMAIN TO PARK ON TOP OF= Source Domain (old) =Domain that is no longer hosted, but parked, and is to point to new domain
---------------------
=================>
-----------------------
DOMAIN TO PARK=Target Domain (new)=Domain where the DNS points to currently and where the current files are being served from
----------------------
I have been instructed that for the sake of Search Engine rankings, and Google in particular, the closer to the "root" of a domain the "redirecting" or "pointing" is being executed, the "safer" the redirect is, the less likely search engine ranking problems are.
Can anybody elaborate a bit on this topic and how this all plays out? Does the formula above make sense to anyone?
It would be nice to find out if the "pointing" within the WHM is actually applying a "301 redirect".
I would like to find out if the solution in the WHM panel differes from the solution in cpanel, and how I could research that.
DOMAIN POINTING THROUGH WHM VS. CPANEL, masked vs. unmasked?
Since we're at it, I wonder if within either the WHM or the cpanel I have the option of "masked" vs. "unmasked" domain redirecting?
Any input you might have is VERY MUCH appreciated, as my client is breathing down my neck ;-)
Peter
newbie to this forum
Here is the situation:
www.olddomain.com
====301 redirect===>
www.newdomain.com.
One of the advantages of 301 redirects, so I was told, was that Google will follow a 301 and will give your site the benefit of the links to the old domain.
It works like a dream. Now I get an e-mail today from the people that optimize the www.newdomain.com website for optimum ranking with google. Here is what they tell me:
"When doing a search for Blue Kauai at www2.google.com (test servers for the new index) I see that the olddomain.com domain has been indexed as well as newdomain.com. This wasn't supposed to happen. I am wondering if the redirect you set up isn't working as it should?"
Do you have an opinion on this, or even a recommendation?
Thanks a million,
Peter
[edited by: oilman at 10:38 pm (utc) on June 16, 2003]
Just sit back and let google process the 301. It will be fine.
Tis I who am concerned about Google indexing the forwarded domain and I will be very happy if you can allay my doubts.
The redirected domain is showing on all the test servers so I am presuming it will be in the new index (I just gave www2 as an example of where this SERP could be seen).
The site does show in the cache of the redirected domain (and it ISN'T the old site still indexed - it is fresh content) so are you absolutely sure Google knows this isn't 2 sites with duplicate content?
Thanks for further elucidation.
