How does Domain Mapping affect Google search results?
-
If I map my wordpress blog to a full .co.uk address, will the .co.uk version appear on google roughly where the .wordpress version did before?
I’ve already purchased the domain http://www.cardiffcitytabletennisclub.co.uk and am currently using masked forwarding to send people straight from there to my wordpress site. The problem is that the pre-existing .wordpress domain is right at the top of the search listings, whereas my tidier .co.uk domain is nowhere to be found in the listings.
I’d love it if my shiny new .co.uk domain could sit where my .wordpress one is currently. Does anyone know if this is possible and if Domain Mapping might do the trick?
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
-
When you forward or forward & mask – as you are seeing .cardiffcitytabletennisclub.co.uk never builds search engine ID – and it never will as it is never really identified with content
Domain mapping will allow you to build brand ID & SEO results for .cardiffcitytabletennisclub.co.uk – but you will take a hit in search engine results when you switch over – search engines take some time to get used to the new domain name – no way around that
all your old links will keep working – so when a search engine sends traffic to your site – the visitors will end up on the correct page but with the new domain name
When search engines crawl your site after domain mapping – they to will be sent to the new URL and be told that the URL has been changed permanently (301 redirect) –
after a while your new URL will work up in the search results – sorry I don’t know exactly how long the transition will take –
I will flag this for the staff to help – they might be able to give you a feel as to days or weeks etc.
-
Thanks Auxclass, that was just what I wanted to know.
If the staff or anyone have any idea of timescale for building up search presence on the .co.uk address that would be grand.
-
In general, it can take the major search engines anywhere from a few weeks or a few months to pick up new or changed sites.
It definitely won’t be hours or days, they have the whole web to index after all. :)
-
-
So just to clarify, if I make the switch and start mapping the .wordpress version of the site is going to disappear from, or at least drop significantly, on the google search results and it will meanwhile take some time for the .co.uk version to build up its SEO and get near where the .wordpress version was previously.
… just so I’m clear. Thanks guys.
-
It won’t disappear actually, it will just take the search engines a while to swap the domain in the results.
They’re smart, and will see that the domain is issuing a permanent redirect. :)
-
-
- The topic ‘How does Domain Mapping affect Google search results?’ is closed to new replies.
WordPress.com Forums 