Moving a site to a new domain and its effect on PageRank and SEO

Posted by JP Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:25:00 GMT

I've decided to get a proper domain for my WoW Gem Finder application that was on a subdomain (wowgems.jponrails.com). The new domain is www.wowgemfinder.com.

This should be an interesting experiment and will yield an answer to the eternal question: what is the effect of moving a site to a new domain on the site's PageRank.

I expect my PageRank to be disrupted, but eventually, in 3 months or so, I expect it to be better, since the new domain name is more SEO-friendly than the old one.

I took care of all the necessary things, including:

  • Redirecting (301) incoming requests to the new domain using mod_rewrite;
  • Changing references to the old domain within the site (I had a few absolute links, notably for the widget and the add-a-link text);
  • Updating Wiki entries on a few websites that point to my application;
  • Sending out a few emails to my most important incoming link sources;
  • Letting Google (and MSN, and Yahoo!) know that the new domain exists.

Now, all I have to do is sit back and see what will happen to my PageRank. Hopefully, the transition won't be too brutal. I'll keep you posted!

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Beware of Your Homonyms

Posted by JP Sun, 16 Dec 2007 17:04:00 GMT

So I just Googled myself to make sure that I'm still the top result. Of course I am, I take great pride in dislodging the other Jean-Pierre Martineaus out there.

However, I found this, which is the second result when I google my name, and is written by another Jean-Pierre Martineau.

So? Well, let's say you're applying for a job or a bidding for a contract. Chances are the potential employer will look you up and find results which have nothing to do with you. This could be damaging. The example I provided is such a case: it's a question posted on a message board. No biggie. But what if that question directly contradicts what you claim you are.

The question is one that a computer sciences student would ask, not one that an experienced C/C++/Objective-C programmer would. There lies the problem. According to my resumé, I have substantial experience in C/C++ and know Objective-C pretty well. If someone is running a background check on me reads that post could easily be put off and assume that I am exaggerating my skill level.

Like every other information found on the Internet, one must be careful with background checks. Not everything is you read is true.

And for the record, I do own the Design Patterns book. It's at an arms reach on my bookshelf and It's one of my favorite books, having read it (non sequentially) many times.

P.S.: Just to make sure I don't bump up that forum posting I added rel="nofollow" to the above link!

P.P.S. I just realized that I posted this in english. My bad. This article was originally posted on my french blog.

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