Move to a new domain?

[PerStrand]

I have some questions!
I have a web site which is optimized and give me visitors.
But the name is a general name which doesn’t cover what the site is all about today.
In fact the site has evolved to cover a more specific area.

I take an analogy.
Let’s say that my domain name is www.domestic-car.com
Let’s say that the site has evolved into market Toyota cars. But not only Toyota domestic cars. It now covers any Toyota cars, like trucks and buses.

I now want to change the domain name into what it is all about so I like to have www.toyota-car.com as my domain.
I like to get this new domain name and move the content with all the text and graphics. Then I do redirect to the same pages but with the new domain from the old domain.
What will then happen?
I know that I have to wait until the new site is spidered and indexed.
But apart from that. Will I be penalized?
Will the SE consider the identical pages on different domain name as some sort of spam?
Your input on this
Thanks!

[Kal]

Hi PerStrand

Have you got a lot of backward links to your current domain? How's your Google Page Rank? Do you have listings in many of the directories with your current site? You may not want to lose these.

If the content is going to be identical, it's probably best that you keep your current domain and park your new domain and have it point to your current domain. As far as I understand it, search engines won't penalize multiple domains if they all point to the same IP address (i.e. if you update your content and all domains get updated automatically, you have it set up correctly). That way the search engines won't spider your new domain and see duplicate content, PLUS you keep your existing listings and links, but you can still promote your new domain via all your marketing efforts, stationery etc.

If you really only want to promote your new domain and don't mind starting fresh with links and search engines, you'll want to use 301 redirects on your old pages to your new ones until your new ones are picked up by the search engines. Then you'll have to submit change requests to any directories and sites listing your old domain and ask them to change your domain. Once search engines have spidered your new domain, you should probably keep your old domain parked and pointing to the new one to ensure all traffic to the old domain is captured. Hope this helps! :cheers:

[scottiecl]

Cute new picture Kal! Guess it is time for the bunny rabbits to go...

[ihelpyou]

Wow. I'm surrounded by all these pretty gals. What's a guy to do..... gloat? :D

[Kal]

Thanks Scottie, Doug :o: . The pic prior to bunny was taken in 1997, so I figured it was time for an update. This pic was taken on the weekend.

[PerStrand]

Nice service Here!

I have a page rank of 5 and I have about 60 back ward link to the site!
I think I will wait to change to a new domain, anyway I am working on the site and I'm adding new pages.

I have another question.
I discovered in my log that I was listed at Google from redirect pointing to merchants for which I am an affiliate.
I just set up these pages to protect my affiliate codes from scumware and user manipulations.
the script is something like this

<script language=JavaScript>
window.location.replace('http://www.merchant.com/?123456')
</script>

To my suprise I was listed in Google with my redirct pages, but with the text content from the page on the merchant site for which I am redirect the visitor.

Now, I am adding value for the users of search engines because I am describing content on the mercant site which I think is database driven.
Do you have some comments on this?

[Alan Perkins]

Google is always experimenting with redirects - whether to index them and, if so, using which URL and which content. Don't worry about it. :)

[Advisor]

I have some questions!
I have a web site which is optimized and give me visitors.
But the name is a general name which doesn’t cover what the site is all about today.
In fact the site has evolved to cover a more specific area. And why would that mean you need a new domain name?

I would simply add new sections to your site. If you're mistakenly thinking that you need the domain name to be keyword rich in order to now get high rankings for new keywords, then that's incorrect.

You just need to add new pages, new content and optimize them for the new stuff you sell. It really doesn't matter what your domain name is, unless of course you think it will confuse your visitors for some reason.

Jill

[PerStrand]

Hi! It's me again!
I have another question!
One of the company for which I am an affiliate and promote their products, send me their web store.
I have to upload it and have it reside on a folder on my server.
Why they do this, I don't know?
Maybe to save bandwith.
Anyway!
I have always tried to avoid any spider to index those pages.
For one thing it is not my pages and they are not optimized for any search engines.
Also I have been afraid that the text content can affect my SE rating in a negativ way.
Let's say that I have optimzied for some term and the same term can be found on duplicate text parts on different pages on some pages on the store.
Can my original page for which I have optimzied for be penalized?
I found today in my log that one obscure product was displayed in msn from that store from my domain.

The same store can be found on many web sites on the web.
Should I let the spiders feed on the web store. I think there are well over 100 pages for that store on my server.
Can my relative high PR affect my exposure positivly on the SE?