Why changing domain names is bad for SEO
This week Google’s Matt Cutts revealed that if you switch domains using a 301 redirect, it could hurt your SEO. Learn why this is a common issue for attorneys and how you can avoid it.
Changing domains and 301 redirects
Business owners change domain names for a variety of reasons, including trademark disputes, branding issues or plain aesthetics. For attorneys, a common reason is that a partner leaves, and the domain name has the ex partner’s name in it.
Changing domain names can raise a variety of issues, but one is the SEO impact. Namely, will Google treat the new domain as it did the old one? The standard answer has always been that if you do a 301 redirect, then Google will treat the new and old domains the same. In other words, because 301 redirects pass PageRank (the “juice” that Google uses in large part to rank websites), by using a 301 redirect you preempt any problems.
However, this week Matt Cutts from Google revealed in an interview that using 301 redirects across domains does leak some PageRank. How much? We don’t know, but it does leak some. This means that there is a SEO price to be paid for switching domains, even if it’s a small price.
Pick a generic domain and stick with it
Because switching domains means that your website will lose some standing in Google’s eyes, this means it’s probably best to avoid it. For attorneys, a great way of preventing the need to switch domains is to register a generic domain in the first place.
So instead of JonesSmithMichaels.com, use SeattleBusinessLawyers.com. If you don’t want to commit to a particular practice area, then go with SeattleLawyers.com or some derivative of it. This way even if partners go and come, you’ll never need to change your domain name. As a bonus, a generic domain name can help your website rank for the keywords in it.
March 16th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
As a owner of many domain names, this is good advice! If the domain name you want/need is already owned and you can not simply “register” it, often times the domain name may be for sale if you contact the current owner. You can use a whois service to get the info.
Always best to “think like a customer” and get those important keywords in your domain name that people naturally search for on the internet already. You hold a much better chance ranking well for that term with a developed site on the matching keyword domain name.
February 22nd, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Choosing a good domain name is the most important factor in my opinion.