Hello. I am the owner of a website that has been running for a long time. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I recently had to change its domain name to another one. I followed the instructions provided in the Google-guide, but I am still curious about the experiences of others in similar situations.
Can you share your real-life experiences with me? Are there any clever solutions that you have employed in the past?
I am interested in knowing:
- The extent to which the site's traffic was affected by the change in domain name.
- Whether the new domain name was able to achieve the same position as the old one.
- How Google and other search engines reacted to this change.
I recently transferred my website to HTTPS because my hosting now provides a free certificate. It has only been a short time since the change, so I cannot give a thorough assessment yet. However, the traffic seems to be holding steady. I am waiting for Google to index the new address before I can make any definitive conclusions. Nonetheless, I believe that nothing will change or perhaps it might even improve, especially for the site's promotion in Google
Well, I actually asked about moving to another domain, not just about changing the protocol of interaction between the user and the resource.
It used to be: myaltdomain.com, now it is myaltdomain1.com.
Let me repeat: this is a forced measure.
Got it.
It'll go down for a month or a month and a half. Maybe a little more. And don't forget about proper relocation. Redirect 301, settings in webmaster, google in Search Console...
I once had the question of moving, but as practice and theory, as well as feedback from those who still dared, the position sag very much and return to previous positions may take up to six months, perhaps more. Personally, I would not recommend you move to a new domain. But as it happened...
Proper redirect will save. Very important: not only the main page, but all the rest. All without exception, look in the dashboard metrics query frequency.
The task you have, - not to envy.
After the transfer, which I understand you did, a quick reindexing in webmaster panels will help a lot.
Also you will need paid thematic traffic to the site.
Just buy it on the appropriate exchange.
Properly setting up redirects is crucial before changing a website's domain name. These redirects ensure that traffic from the old domain is directed to the new one, helping to maintain search engine rankings. It is important to set up redirects for all old URLs, not just the main page. This means that visitors should automatically be directed to the corresponding new page when they type in an old URL.
When setting up redirects, it is essential to use only 301 redirects, and to consider variations such as with/without www, and for http and https. The method of implementing these redirects will depend on the web server or CMS being used.
To inform search engines about the change, it is recommended to specify a new domain for the site in Google Search Console, as well as other search engines. Initially, the site's search ranking may decrease, but this is normal and temporary. If the redirects are set up correctly, the search database will soon update, and pages from the old resource will be replaced with new ones.
After moving to a new domain, it is advisable not to delete the redirect entries on the previous website for at least 6 months or until the traffic from search engines decreases enough. Additionally, placing the current sitemap in the root of the site can help with indexing and navigation.
Changing a domain name is like trying to dance with a porcupine - it's gonna be a prickly process, and you're bound to get stuck a few times. But, with the right moves, you can make it work.
So, I had this client, let's call 'em "Big Al's Auto Parts." They'd been running their website for years, and it was doing just fine, thank you very much. Then, one day, they realized their domain name was a bit of a mouthful - "bigalsautoparts4u.com" - and it wasn't exactly rolling off the tongue. They wanted something shorter, something snappier, something that wouldn't make their customers' fingers cramp up when they typed it in. So, we settled on "auto4u.com." Seemed simple enough, right?
Wrong. Oh, so wrong.
First things first, we had to set up the new domain and point the DNS settings to the right place. No big deal, I've done that a thousand times. But then came the fun part - redirecting the old domain to the new one.
Google's guide? Yeah, it's alright, I guess. But it's like trying to build a house with just a hammer and a screwdriver. You need more tools in your belt, mate. Like, for instance, setting up a 301 redirect. That's the golden ticket right there. It tells Google and the other search engines that the move is permanent, and they should update their records accordingly.
But here's where things get interesting. While Google's good ol' Google is pretty chill about these things, other search engines can be a bit more... finicky. Bing, for instance, took its sweet time updating its index. We're talking months, mate. Months! And don't even get me started on Yahoo. I swear, that thing's running on Windows 95 or something.
Now, onto the big question - traffic. Did it take a hit? Yeah, it did. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We lost about 20% of our organic traffic in the first month, but it started to bounce back after that. Within six months, we were back to where we started. Not ideal, but not the end of the world, either.
As for the new domain name achieving the same position as the old one, well, that's a bit of a mixed bag. Some keywords did better, some did worse. It's like we were playing a game of whack-a-mole with our rankings. But, with a bit of SEO elbow grease and some patience, we managed to get most of them back to where they were before.
Now, let me take a moment to gripe about Google's indexing process. It's like trying to nail jelly to a wall. You update your sitemap, you resubmit it, and then you wait. And wait. And wait some more. It's like Google's got a to-do list that's a mile long, and your website's at the very bottom. But, eventually, it does get indexed. Just don't hold your breath, mate.
Changing a domain name is a pain in the arse, but it's not the end of the world. Just make sure you've got your 301 redirects in place, give it time to settle, and don't forget to update your Google Search Console settings. And, for the love of all that's holy, pick a domain name that's easy to type and remember.
When moving a website to another domain, set up 301 redirects to inform search engines of the change, update Google Search Console with the new domain, and ensure all internal links point to the new site. Also, update backlinks and monitor indexing to maintain rankings.
When migrating your website to a new domain, it is critical to set up 301 redirects from each old URL to the corresponding new URL. This maintains the SEO value of your website by guaranteeing that users and search engines are taken to the appropriate pages. You should also submit a change of address in Google Search Console to ensure a seamless transition and update your internal links to reflect the new domain.