Changing Domain Name Tips Requested

[davers44]

Hello,

 

I am going to change domain name of my shop, do you have any tips what is the best way to make the transfer without loosing too much SEO links and Pagerank?

 

Thanks!

Edited March 2, 2013 by davers44 (see edit history)

[Carlsen]

Hi Davers,

 

I would create a 301 (Moved Permanently) on my old domain (with and without www) that directs to my new domain (with www). Then I would create another 301 on my new domain without www, that directs to the new domain with www..

 

You should also have a look at http://webmaster.google.com; Here you can tell Google that your domain is moved.

[lynn.chris9]

Here is the pots from Google Webmasters which can help you http://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=83105

[davers44]

Thanks for your reply I apprecieted,

 

your google link is suggesting to use 301 to redirect ALL pages to new domain, can I give me some tips what should I do to redirect all of them to new links?

 

If someone follow an old product link will he get the new correct product link or just get redirected to the new main website?

 

I also found this interesting guide, do you think also suchl steps need to be applied to prestashop?

 

http://www.seomoz.org/blog/seo-guide-how-to-properly-move-domains

[Presta Ecommerce]

Best practice is to redirect all individual product pages to new product pages so that transition gets as smooth as possible for end user.

[davers44]

Is that a simple line to add to htaccess that you can suggest or I need to ask an expert to provide solution paying premium?

[vekia]

It isnt as simple as it seems, in most cases it is necessary to edit all rewrite parameters in htaccess file...

 

But you can try code that i pasted below. It works only if you've got the same URLS to pages on the new domain

 

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !newdomain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]

 

remember to make a backup of htaccess before you will apply any changes to this file

[FME_Modules]

Use 301 redirection and move all of your content to new domain. Upto 90-95 of links juice and page rank will be transfered to new domain.

[vekia]

davers44 have you tried our solutions?

if so, please give us information about that

we want to know that everything works fine

 

regards

[davers44]

Thanks a lot vekia, I read many SEO guides and Google articles and seems like your 301 code htaccess is really suggested and should be the standard thing to add to htaccess when path do not change. I think that will help anyone planning to change domain to their prestashop site.

 

However I still have a main doubt on the actual changing domain process. Most guides I read do not cover e-commerce, focusing on changing domain to new rebranded website but I will keep the same website (and database) changing only domain name, so what do you suggest between 1 and 2 solutions?

 

1. Should I simply point via DNS both new domain and old domain to my prestashop directory and add the above 301 redirect to the htaccess file, regenerate sitmap and database domain entries?

 

2. Or I need to install a copy of the my prestashop and database into another folder pointing new domain to it, thus running two separate shops with two different htcacess, files and sitemaps ?

 

Thanks

[vekia]

You don't have to duplicate database and all files. I think that the best solution will be:

 

1) create new empty directory with .htaccess file with:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !newdomain.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://newdomain.com/$1 [L,R=301]

and point your old domain to this new directory (this is on the the same server, you don't change DNS entries - so you dont have to "fight" with propagation time, woohoo! )

 

2) point new domain to the prestashop directory and of course change configuration parameters for new domain

 

it will work like a charm :-) without "downtime" and without seo loss

[JAG]

vekia, how do you add that code into the .htaccess folder? Should I simply add those two lines after the last RewriteRule line?

[Presta Ecommerce]

You need to add the code into .htaccess file, not folder.

[JAG]

Okay, wrong wording. So in the file- do you just add those lines underneath the last RewriteRule or does it matter where that code is inserted?

[vekia]

add those lines right after "RewriteEngine On"