Domain Name Forwarding and Search Engines
You own a single site, but several domains - perhaps you wanted to make sure that even if your customers misspelled your domain name they'd get to your site, or perhaps you'd like to have a specific domain name direct to a page deep within your site - whatever the case, there are some important considerations surrounding multiple domain names routing to a single site and search engine submission. Search engines like Google and Yahoo won't always wait around for you to submit a site - Googlebot and Yahoo Slurp (which you may recognize from your server logs if your site has been up for a few weeks) are constantly running across new domain names to index. It's a good thing - unless your domain names are being forwarded incorrectly. What constitutes and incorrect forward? Many major domain name registrars offer a "Domain Name Forwarding" feature which, while it may be the easiest way to forward your domain, can cause some real problems when search engine spiders like Googlebot or Yahoo Slurp visit your site. Here's what happens:
But what went wrong? Your domain name registrar did its job, and sent the spider to your actual site when it visited the domain name you registered. The spider did its job and read the content of the page or pages it found, and then incorporated them into the search engine index. Everything's copacetic, right?
When the search engine spider read the page, it associated it with your alternate domain name, the one that was supposed to be forwarding to your primary domain name. This means that the search engine has effectively tracked down what it will quickly identify as duplicate content - and, after years of dealing with sites trying to sell Viagra on the sly by duplicating their content across hundreds of pages, today's search engines will respond to duplicate content with a drop in your ranking.
Given enough time, you may find your site has been banned from the search engine index.
What's the solution?
Your domain names need to be routed from the domain name registrar to a hosting account - from the hosting account (and this varies - consult your technical support provider for the account) you'll need to set a Permanent Redirect to your main site.
A Permanent Redirect is logged as a code '301' (thence, it is often referred to as a '301 Permanent Redirect') - if you have multiple domain names which you wish to direct to a single site, it may be especially useful for you to consider a website hosting account which offers multiple add-on domains and subdomains to accommodate all the domain names you'll need to forward.
Dan LeFree is a Web Design and Development Consultant specializing in database applications for e-Commerce storefronts, custom realtor websites, and other small business tools.
Related Articles:
Bido.com Launches One-Domain-Name-Per-Day Auction
Bido.com will be launching their much anticipated first auction on Wednesday June 18th, 2008 at 1pm EDT. Bido.com is the only online domain name auction house that will auction off one domain name per day. While Domain name investors (?Domainers?) have a variety of choices of venues to buy aftermarket, premium domains, the choices can be overwhelming. Bido.com?s point-of-difference for buyers and sellers is to focus on an individual domain name for sale each day. This one-domain-per-day auction will generate greater focus and will accurately pinpoint a domain name?s true market value. At the same time, busy Domainers can easily bid on the daily domain name being auctioned without fear of missing an opportunity.
Domainer Income Transforms The Way People Buy Domains – Launches as the 'E*Trade®' of Domain Name Investment
Domainer Income Gives Domain Name Investors Powerful Data and Tools To Help Them Find, Value and Buy Domain Names, and Monetize and Manage Their Domain Portfolios
The Rising Value of Internet Real Estate
The business of buying and selling domain names is continuing to heat up as individuals attempt to turn a $10 registration into a long-shot investment worth millions. In 2008, the public has seen sales of at least three seven-figure domains and another 70 six-figure domains. That's the range expected for the private auction of PerformanceWealth.com, a set of 16 premium domain names with an opening bid of $250,000.00, scheduled to start September 1, 2008 and end November 5, 2008.
TrakSoft LLC Announces the Launch of DomainProShop.com, Source of Cool, Unique, and Premium Domain Names
TrakSoft LLC announced the launch of DomainProShop.com, a great source of cool, unique, and premium domain names. Some domains come with fully developed sites as well as exclusive ownership to the product lines being marketed on the sites.
The Truth About Domain Names - Hallo It Is 2008
It's unbelievable, you see it all the time - - 3 qualities of good domain names, how to choose a good name or something along this line, tips for selecting and registering a perfect domain Here is what the experts will tell you t:
Choose a short name, register a unique domain name, a name that is easy to pronounce and understand, should be search engine friendly or a name that is meaningful and not vague
Announcing Sale Of Domain Names: Telecom, Fax, Customer Service, Marketing, Mobile Device, Workplace Premium Brand Names
Companies seeking to acquire enhanced Internet presence through domain names that are easy to remember and that will create powerful brand names, look to the aftermarket for quality names like iWorkPlace.com, iBrochure.com, YourSidebar.mobi and FaxToMe.mobi.
Identifying Expired Domain Buyers - Tips and Ideas (Part I)
There was a time in the past, when people would flaunt their visiting cards with their flashy addresses and telephone numbers However, the present trend is of people flashing their web addresses to their friends, colleagues and business partners
Domain Invest has Acquired More than 400 “Health” Domain Names
The company bought 400 domain names in the “health” sector further expanding its share on this high profile market.
Domain TLD and Trademark Myths
I started buying and selling domain names in 1995 Domain speculation began sometime in 1994
Buy Domain Names: domain name price comparison
Buy Domain Names for Cheap