Sometimes you just need to make a change, and changing your domain name can be a scary and even dangerous thing (if you don't do it correctly) when your website is already established and getting traffic from Google.
Not long ago the process was as simple as just switching out your domain and setting up 301 redirects from the old domain so that traffic would be re-routed and Google and other search engines would know that your website had moved. After that, you just crossed your fingers and prayed that everything went smoothly with the transition, with as little loss in traffic and rankings as possible.
Fortunately, Google now offers website owners a tool that will alert Google to the change of address beyond just a simple 301 redirect. This allows Google to begin de-indexing your old pages and replacing them with the "new" pages on your site. This is called the Change of Address tool and it is available within your Google Webmaster Tools dashboard.
If you do not already have a Google Webmaster Tools account, you can create one at: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/. Once you've logged into your account and added your site, go to "configuration" on the left and then choose "Change of Address". This is where you will let Google know that you have switched domains, but there are a few things we will need to do first before we use this tool.
- Make sure you have claimed ownership on both the www & non-www version of your site in Webmaster Tools. If you only have ownership of 1 or the other, Google will tell you that you need both in order to continue. In order to do this, simply go to "Add Site" and enter in whichever version you don't already have (www or no www) and follow the instructions for verifying ownership. This will save you the headache of having to go back and remove your 301 redirects just to verify ownership later.
- Point your new domain to your existing website. It's easier to do it this way rather than creating an entirely new account and having to transfer files, databases, etc.
- Point your old domain to another account, and set up 301 redirects. You can simply set up the 301 redirects within CPanel or by editing your.htaccess file. Since you'll be using the same website and URL structure, you shouldn't have to do anything fancy with your 301's. A simple redirect will work fine.
- Let Google know. Once you have tested and are sure that your redirects are working properly, you may go back into Google Webmaster Tools and submit the change of address. Within a week or two Google will normally have the new domain indexed with minimal impact to your websites rankings or traffic.
Keep in mind that there is always going to be a drop in traffic any time you make a significant change such as switching your domain name, but by following the process I've laid out here and using the tools that Google makes available you will minimize the impact that it has on your traffic.
Larry Sheckell is the founder and president of Web Marketing Wizardry, a company that specializes in helping small business and website owners maximize their online potential and build a powerful web presence through the use of search engines, social media and mobile devices. To read more great tips, or to learn more about what we do, visit http://webmarketingwizardry.com
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