One aspect of moving from one domain to another is transferring website traffic from the old domain to the new one. Many webmasters implement a redirect from the homepage, which is an easy way to transfer traffic. However, Google recommends a permanent redirect, which is labeled a 301 redirection.
Using the home page to transfer website traffic implements a 302, or a temporary redirect. This type of domain redirection affects search engine optimization, and it can harm a website’s Google position. The reason is because Google still keeps the original page content, then it moves to the new domain when it sees the temporary redirection.
This type of redirection causes Googlebot to register duplicate content, so webmasters find their position in the Google index is lowered. To avoid this type of search engine optimization issue, the webmaster can implement a permanent redirect using Internet Information Server’s (IIS) configuration console or the .htaccess file in Apache.
Implementing a Permanent Redirect in IIS
IIS is a little less convenient for people who have their domain hosted on a third party server. IIS allows users to implement a permanent redirect from the IIS console in the Control Panel. The following is how a webmaster can implement a 301 permanent redirect on an IIS server:
-Right-click the website or folder that needs to be redirected and select “Properties.”
-In the default window that opens, select “A redirection to a URL” in the first section.
-Enter the new domain or URL for the permanent redirect.
-Click the “Ok” button.
Permanent Redirect in Apache
As long as the website owner has “mod-rewrite” permissions on the Apache server, a 301 permanent redirect can be done using the .htaccess file. The .htaccess file is normally available already on the web host server, but the webmaster can also create a new one and overwrite it.
In the .htaccess file, enter the following code:
Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule (.*) http://your_new_domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Replace the “your_new_domain.com” text with the new domain name. This code uses a permanent redirect from the old domain to the new one. This will also instruct Googlebot to redirect to the new domain, which preserves current search engine optimization without losing rank due to duplicate content.
Use a 301 permanent redirect to avoid duplicate content. Google continues to filter duplicate content as much as possible, so webmasters should avoid using a 302 temporary redirect. Several other search Google engine optimization tips help webmasters code pages for the best rank possible. Continue to work on pages and provide rich content on the new domain for the best traffic results.
Using the home page to transfer website traffic implements a 302, or a temporary redirect. This type of domain redirection affects search engine optimization, and it can harm a website’s Google position. The reason is because Google still keeps the original page content, then it moves to the new domain when it sees the temporary redirection.
This type of redirection causes Googlebot to register duplicate content, so webmasters find their position in the Google index is lowered. To avoid this type of search engine optimization issue, the webmaster can implement a permanent redirect using Internet Information Server’s (IIS) configuration console or the .htaccess file in Apache.
Implementing a Permanent Redirect in IIS
IIS is a little less convenient for people who have their domain hosted on a third party server. IIS allows users to implement a permanent redirect from the IIS console in the Control Panel. The following is how a webmaster can implement a 301 permanent redirect on an IIS server:
-Right-click the website or folder that needs to be redirected and select “Properties.”
-In the default window that opens, select “A redirection to a URL” in the first section.
-Enter the new domain or URL for the permanent redirect.
-Click the “Ok” button.
Permanent Redirect in Apache
As long as the website owner has “mod-rewrite” permissions on the Apache server, a 301 permanent redirect can be done using the .htaccess file. The .htaccess file is normally available already on the web host server, but the webmaster can also create a new one and overwrite it.
In the .htaccess file, enter the following code:
Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule (.*) http://your_new_domain.com/$1 [R=301,L]
Replace the “your_new_domain.com” text with the new domain name. This code uses a permanent redirect from the old domain to the new one. This will also instruct Googlebot to redirect to the new domain, which preserves current search engine optimization without losing rank due to duplicate content.
Use a 301 permanent redirect to avoid duplicate content. Google continues to filter duplicate content as much as possible, so webmasters should avoid using a 302 temporary redirect. Several other search Google engine optimization tips help webmasters code pages for the best rank possible. Continue to work on pages and provide rich content on the new domain for the best traffic results.
Comments