Transferring traffic and popularity to a new domain is a
painstaking process that no one on the web appears to be immune
to, or so Topix.net has realized. Topix.net is a leading news
aggregation resource that has been in the news lately because
they are planning to move their site from Topix.net to Topix.com
after purchasing the .com for a cool million from a Canadian
animation company.
The Wall Street Journal wrote this article
(http://online.wsj.com/public/article/
SB117375265591935029-IKQUyS_3o8u4cUtPCqiCO2oV5OE_20080311.html)
explaining how damaging a seemingly simple process of switching
from .net to .com could be for Topix LLC. The author goes on to
explain such a switch is usually fraught with ranking drops
while the major search engines notice and respond to the
changeover. The fact that switching addresses will cause
problems is not news in the SEO world; however, I thought
Topix.net's situation was a great opportunity to review what
one might expect when switching domains.
Switching Shingles
Switching a domain is tantamount to changing physical locations
and it should be treated just as seriously. The following are
the steps to take and consider when switching domains:
1. You must install a site wide 301 (permanent redirect) on
your old domain to forward all human traffic to the new
domain and inform search engine spiders that your website
has permanently moved to a new location. For information
on how to implement a 301 redirect here is a great tutorial
(http://www.tamingthebeast.net/articles3/spiders-301-redirect.htm).
2. Google is the biggest player and likely the most
significant driver of traffic to your website. Keeping that
in mind you will want to notify Google of your switchover
as soon as possible by registering the new website within
Google Webmaster Central and then submitting a fresh XML
sitemap. Google representatives are very clear the only way
to minimize the impact of a domain changeover is to give
Google's automated system as much warning as possible to
limit downtime.
3. Find the most significant inbound links that point to
the old domain and selectively contact the site owners
requesting a link update to the new domain.
TIP: Discovering which sites to contact first can be done
using a combination of top referrer statistics, and search
engine backlink reports. I don't recommend taking this
step unless you find a few sites that stand out as massive
traffic drivers as this process can be frustrating due to
lack of response; after all, changing a backlink to your
site is likely low on a webmaster's priority list.
4. Send out a press release far and wide explaining the move
to the new domain. Feature the domain prominently in the
release to begin the task of re-branding.
5. All email addresses will need to be forwarded to their
respective addresses on the new domain. Ensure that anyone
emailing the old address is forwarded to the new one BUT
they should also receive an automated notice to change
their contact records to reflect the new email. Leave these
email forwards active for a short time to catch the most
important emails and then turn them off and delete the old
address accounts to avoid encouraging spammers.
6. On the new domain don't forget to implement a 301 redirect
for the "non-www" traffic so they get forwarded to the
preferred "www" version of the domain. For more information
and background on this topic please visit the following
tutorial "301 Redirect of Non-WWW to WWW URLs
(http://www.stepforth.com/faq/non-www-redirect.htm)".
7. If you expect a severe drop in traffic you can expect a
drop in sales. In this regard you may want to ramp up or
start pay per click marketing to minimize the damage to
your bottom line.
How Long Does a Domain Transition Take?
Generally a popular website will experience the least amount of
downtime because Google will take notice faster due to the many
entry points (inbound links from news articles, etc.) this type
of site usually has. It is also more to Google's benefit to
ensure that a credible and well-trafficked website is kept high
in Google's results to ensure users receive the best results
possible. Using a popular website such as Topix.Net as an
example, I would expect a 2-week to 1-month turn around at which
time traffic would be back to approximately 85% of what it was.
Sites that are less popular will really need to do their
homework and ensure they have informed Google in every way
possible of the transition. The transition back to normal
traffic for sites that carefully transition their website should
be in the realm of 2 to 6 months.
"What If?" The Worst Case Scenario
What should you do if your traffic drops dramatically and after
a few weeks or months it still has not measurably restored
itself? Google actually recommends you post your issue on their
online user support forum (http://groups.google.com/group/
Google_Webmaster_Help). Apparently Google engineers
occasionally take pity and help out; maybe you will get lucky.
I also recommend visiting the more authoritative search engine
forums (such as Search Engine Watch
(http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/), iHelpYou
(http://www.ihelpyou.com/forums/), etc.) and requesting help.
There are a lot of incredibly talented SEOs on these forums that
are happy to provide assistance.
WARNING!
If you must conduct a domain transition be sure to plan it
during a historically slow time of year to minimize damages. For
example, it would be a mistake for a B2C to switch domains
before the Holiday Season rush.
In Conclusion
Do not switch your domain unless you have no other choice
because no matter how popular your website is domain switchovers
are far from enjoyable. After all, even losing a single week of
significant traffic for a popular site could cost many thousands
or even millions of dollars. On the flip side of the coin, less
trafficked websites (i.e. Mom and Pop sites, small B2C websites,
etc.) usually experience a longer wait time so they experience a
different type of pain. Fortunately, you now know there are ways
to mitigate the potential harm to your bottom line, just don't
forget to follow the rules and your switchover will be a lot
more effective and ultimately less painful.
================================================================
Ross Dunn is the founder and CEO of StepForth Search Engine
Placement Inc. (http://www.stepforth.com/) Based in Victoria,
BC, Canada, StepForth has provided professional search engine
placement and management services since 1997. Ross is a search
engine optimization and placement expert with over 9 years of
marketing experience and is a Certified Internet Marketing and
Business Strategist (CIMBS). Blending his experience in the art
of web design and search engine optimization, Ross offers a
unique and informed perspective on obtaining top search engine
placements. Ross can be reached at ross@stepforth.com
================================================================
Copyright © 2007 Jayde Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SiteProNews is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.
painstaking process that no one on the web appears to be immune
to, or so Topix.net has realized. Topix.net is a leading news
aggregation resource that has been in the news lately because
they are planning to move their site from Topix.net to Topix.com
after purchasing the .com for a cool million from a Canadian
animation company.
The Wall Street Journal wrote this article
(http://online.wsj.com/public/article/
SB117375265591935029-IKQUyS_3o8u4cUtPCqiCO2oV5OE_20080311.html)
explaining how damaging a seemingly simple process of switching
from .net to .com could be for Topix LLC. The author goes on to
explain such a switch is usually fraught with ranking drops
while the major search engines notice and respond to the
changeover. The fact that switching addresses will cause
problems is not news in the SEO world; however, I thought
Topix.net's situation was a great opportunity to review what
one might expect when switching domains.
Switching Shingles
Switching a domain is tantamount to changing physical locations
and it should be treated just as seriously. The following are
the steps to take and consider when switching domains:
1. You must install a site wide 301 (permanent redirect) on
your old domain to forward all human traffic to the new
domain and inform search engine spiders that your website
has permanently moved to a new location. For information
on how to implement a 301 redirect here is a great tutorial
(http://www.tamingthebeast.net/articles3/spiders-301-redirect.htm).
2. Google is the biggest player and likely the most
significant driver of traffic to your website. Keeping that
in mind you will want to notify Google of your switchover
as soon as possible by registering the new website within
Google Webmaster Central and then submitting a fresh XML
sitemap. Google representatives are very clear the only way
to minimize the impact of a domain changeover is to give
Google's automated system as much warning as possible to
limit downtime.
3. Find the most significant inbound links that point to
the old domain and selectively contact the site owners
requesting a link update to the new domain.
TIP: Discovering which sites to contact first can be done
using a combination of top referrer statistics, and search
engine backlink reports. I don't recommend taking this
step unless you find a few sites that stand out as massive
traffic drivers as this process can be frustrating due to
lack of response; after all, changing a backlink to your
site is likely low on a webmaster's priority list.
4. Send out a press release far and wide explaining the move
to the new domain. Feature the domain prominently in the
release to begin the task of re-branding.
5. All email addresses will need to be forwarded to their
respective addresses on the new domain. Ensure that anyone
emailing the old address is forwarded to the new one BUT
they should also receive an automated notice to change
their contact records to reflect the new email. Leave these
email forwards active for a short time to catch the most
important emails and then turn them off and delete the old
address accounts to avoid encouraging spammers.
6. On the new domain don't forget to implement a 301 redirect
for the "non-www" traffic so they get forwarded to the
preferred "www" version of the domain. For more information
and background on this topic please visit the following
tutorial "301 Redirect of Non-WWW to WWW URLs
(http://www.stepforth.com/faq/non-www-redirect.htm)".
7. If you expect a severe drop in traffic you can expect a
drop in sales. In this regard you may want to ramp up or
start pay per click marketing to minimize the damage to
your bottom line.
How Long Does a Domain Transition Take?
Generally a popular website will experience the least amount of
downtime because Google will take notice faster due to the many
entry points (inbound links from news articles, etc.) this type
of site usually has. It is also more to Google's benefit to
ensure that a credible and well-trafficked website is kept high
in Google's results to ensure users receive the best results
possible. Using a popular website such as Topix.Net as an
example, I would expect a 2-week to 1-month turn around at which
time traffic would be back to approximately 85% of what it was.
Sites that are less popular will really need to do their
homework and ensure they have informed Google in every way
possible of the transition. The transition back to normal
traffic for sites that carefully transition their website should
be in the realm of 2 to 6 months.
"What If?" The Worst Case Scenario
What should you do if your traffic drops dramatically and after
a few weeks or months it still has not measurably restored
itself? Google actually recommends you post your issue on their
online user support forum (http://groups.google.com/group/
Google_Webmaster_Help). Apparently Google engineers
occasionally take pity and help out; maybe you will get lucky.
I also recommend visiting the more authoritative search engine
forums (such as Search Engine Watch
(http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/), iHelpYou
(http://www.ihelpyou.com/forums/), etc.) and requesting help.
There are a lot of incredibly talented SEOs on these forums that
are happy to provide assistance.
WARNING!
If you must conduct a domain transition be sure to plan it
during a historically slow time of year to minimize damages. For
example, it would be a mistake for a B2C to switch domains
before the Holiday Season rush.
In Conclusion
Do not switch your domain unless you have no other choice
because no matter how popular your website is domain switchovers
are far from enjoyable. After all, even losing a single week of
significant traffic for a popular site could cost many thousands
or even millions of dollars. On the flip side of the coin, less
trafficked websites (i.e. Mom and Pop sites, small B2C websites,
etc.) usually experience a longer wait time so they experience a
different type of pain. Fortunately, you now know there are ways
to mitigate the potential harm to your bottom line, just don't
forget to follow the rules and your switchover will be a lot
more effective and ultimately less painful.
================================================================
Ross Dunn is the founder and CEO of StepForth Search Engine
Placement Inc. (http://www.stepforth.com/) Based in Victoria,
BC, Canada, StepForth has provided professional search engine
placement and management services since 1997. Ross is a search
engine optimization and placement expert with over 9 years of
marketing experience and is a Certified Internet Marketing and
Business Strategist (CIMBS). Blending his experience in the art
of web design and search engine optimization, Ross offers a
unique and informed perspective on obtaining top search engine
placements. Ross can be reached at ross@stepforth.com
================================================================
Copyright © 2007 Jayde Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
SiteProNews is a registered service mark of Jayde Online, Inc.
