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:

  • The search engine spider pulls your domain name (usually from http://www.whois.sc/ )
  • The spider visits your website, using the domain name forwarded through your domain registrar
  • Your domain registrar is using a Temporary Redirect (most likely because it's assumed that you'll point the domain name to a new hosting account sooner or later), frames, or other incorrect forwarding method
  • The spider indexes your site
  • 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 News



    Inttl Advocare - Indlaw.com

    Inttl Advocare
    Indlaw.com, India -5 hours ago
    ... Anton Pillar orders, criminal prosecution, computer software, overlap between IP rights and public domain, damages, domain names, cyber laws etc. ...

    GeoDomainList.com, the Daily Newsletter for Geo Domains, Adds Page ... - PR Web (press release)

    GeoDomainList.com, the Daily Newsletter for Geo Domains, Adds Page ...
    PR Web (press release), WA -7 hours ago
    The domains offered vary daily between Gold, Silver and Bronze level names ranging in price from $20-$50000. DNFolio.com is an aftermarket domain name...

    Private domain - Inquirer.net

    Private domain
    Inquirer.net, Philippines -2 hours ago
    AFP PHOTO / Greg WOOD China's gold medallists at the Beijing Games will have the exclusive rights to register their own names as internet domain names, ...

    Name.com Selects NameMedia’s AfternicDLS Domain Sales Platform as ... - Domain Informer (press release)

    Name.com Selects NameMedia’s AfternicDLS Domain Sales Platform as ...
    Domain Informer (press release), IL -3 hours ago
    Under the terms of the agreement, NameMedia’s AfternicDLS global domain sales platform will be the exclusive provider of aftermarket domain names for ...

    Remember123.co.uk Raises Website Recall - Press Dispensary (press release)

    Remember123.co.uk Raises Website Recall
    Press Dispensary (press release), UK -1 hour ago
    Combining online promotion with an affordable web forwarding service that can help businesses improve their online marketing by aiding domain name...

    In-house Trademark Attorney Appointed At Domain Registrar Sublime IP - Newswire Today (press release)

    In-house Trademark Attorney Appointed At Domain Registrar Sublime IP
    Newswire Today (press release), UK -8 hours ago
    Fixed pricing in local currencies is available to domain name resellers, trademark attorneys and hosting companies. Trademark registration can be ...

    China limits use of Olympians' names online - Washington Post

    Washington Post

    China limits use of Olympians' names online
    Washington Post, United States -17 hours ago
    Domain names based on the names of at least 10 gold medalists, including weightlifter Chen Xiexia and gymnast Yang Wei, were registered before the games, ...
    China's Internet chiefs ban names of the GamesXinhua
    Ban on golden domain namesChina Daily
    China curtails Olympic domainsWeb User
    AHN
    all 168 news articles

    It's All About .ME Now - the new hot domain names - Eworldwire (press release)

    It's All About .ME Now - the new hot domain names
    Eworldwire (press release), NJ -40 minutes ago
    21, 2008 --- When .me domain names became available in June, many people attempted to register while others missed out because they were unaware of the DOT ...

    Stay with conventional extensions for Web sites - Palestine Herald Press

    Stay with conventional extensions for Web sites
    Palestine Herald Press, TX -8 hours ago
    If you and your ISP do not have this software installed, the New.net domain name will not work for you.This means that the New.net name will only be ...

    China’s Sports Bureaucrats Get The Web - MarketWatch

    China’s Sports Bureaucrats Get The Web
    MarketWatch -13 hours ago
    This is in contrast to 2004, when many of the domain names for China’s gold medalists were taken by domain squatters. The sports bureaucracy understands ...