It’s not everyday that webmasters perform a URL redirect. But it’s important that we know what to do in case the need arises, such that the process will not hurt our website’s SEO standing.

This way, please

There are a number of reasons why one would need to automatically redirect all traffic from one web address to another. The most common one is domain name change, which can mean the entire URL or just a folder in it. Website upgrades, URL consolidation and domain canonicalization are some of the other scenarios that call for traffic redirection.

It sounds like a tedious task – forwarding traffic from one web address to another. Thankfully we don’t need to bring a traffic officer into the picture, because it is in fact quite easy in many cases – a few additional lines of code here and there, some folder updates and you’re all set.

SEO redirect, too

The main concern for optimizers is to make sure that the all the SEO credentials get transferred to the new URL. The problem with having two domains pointing to one place is is that the search engines might interpret them as duplicate content, and we don’t want that to happen.

The other matter of concern is the backlink juice. Once our links are set in place out there, it is out of our control to update or edit them. In order not to lose any of those precious backlink juice after a domain change, we must leave a trace to let the search engines know that the web address has been changed.

301, 302, 303, meta-refresh redirects

URL redirection can be implemented in a few ways, but in the SEO world, only a 301 redirect is acceptable. Here’s a quick summary of the commonly used redirection options:

• 301 Redirect – This status code tells the search engines that a website has permanently moved to a new address. The browser will automatically open the new web address even if the old web address (redirecting URL) was entered. Similarly, the search engine will no longer list the old address in the SERP.

• 302 Redirect – This code is only meant for temporary redirection of traffic. In effect, the new website may not do well in rankings because it is only meant to be up temporarily (the old URL will still keep all SEO credentials). However, this code is now negatively flagged by some search engines because it has been abused by hackers to use in stealing PageRank and manipulating search results.

• 303 Redirect – This code is the “see other” command. It somewhat tells the browser to get the page somewhere else. It may work like a 301 as far as redirection is concerned. But just like the 302, both old and new web addresses may show up on the SERP, thereby splitting the SEO credentials.

• Meta-Refresh Redirect – When a visitor tries to access the old web address, he lands on a redirecting page for a few seconds before it refreshes to the new web address. This redirect command only requires a few additional lines on the header tag to execute, but is no longer recommended for use because of its track record for abuse (search engines cannot trace the new web address, so spammers can put their shady site there).

Proper implementation of these redirect codes are illustrated Wiki, so I won’t bother with the codes.

When you want to permanently redirect a web address while keep your standing in SEO, redirect URLs using the 301 code only. It is universally accepted by search engines as a valid means to transfer credentials from one web address to another.

Sometimes, buying an expired domain is preferred because it carries some attributes that cannot be earned up front when registering a web address for the first time. SEO experts look after these characteristics to see if a domain is good enough to buy for future re-selling or personal usage.

When a domain name you’re after has been previously registered, you’ll need to do a background check before buying it. Most expired domains are auctioned off, so knowing these things will help you determine which ones are worth your money. At the same time, you can also find out if a domain is hiding any skeletons in its closet.

Domain age

No matter what others may say, it is obvious that search engines consider domain age as one of their ranking factors. Simply put, domain age is one way of measuring authority and trustworthiness (spam sites generally don’t last long).

Take this example, a query for the keyword “corporate giveaways”. The top spot belongs to a website which has been around since 1999 – the oldest among the others on page 1. On the second spot is a website from circa 2006, while the third spot is a 10-year old website.

Looking at these results, it is obvious that domain age does have some control over search engine rankings. From what we can see, it looks like the second website was given priority because the keyword is in the domain name itself. Overall, the trend shows that older websites have a place in the first page of SERPs.

Previous penalties

A website involved in spam activity or other indecency is not tolerated by search engines. These websites are penalized. Suffice to say that a penalized website will not be able to perform SEO-wise for many months.

Right now, there is no standard way to check whether a website has been penalized. You’ll have to rely on the transparency of the previous owner. In any case, if you think you bought a penalized website, you can simply send a reconsideration request or re-inclusion request to the search engine. Google provides an online form for this purpose (log-in required).

Established backlinks

A previously active website must have a portfolio of past promotions done by its webmaster. Established backlinks remain active even after a complete management turnover. Those wanting to buy an expired domain for SEO purposes look for a website with a good number of established backlinks to benefit from its leftover link juice.

Some type of backlink analysis should be done just to see what kind of promotion has been done in the past on a domain. Was it linking to quality websites, or is it involved in sketchy link exchange programs? You also want to look for relevant backlinks, so it can still benefit the new website.

Others

There is no telling how much people are willing to pay for an expired domain. It really depends on how much they are bent on having it. Sometimes you may have to weigh branding with cost because some domains sell for over $200.

Buying expired domains can be a lot of work than you initially thought, but the job can be easier if you know what you are looking for (and how much your budget is).