Completely changing site structure and file extensions

Hi!

At the moment my site is doing ok in google rankings, but owing to a major redesign and a change in server script (we are moving from ASP to .net) the site's structure and all the internal URLs are going to change. The content will be substantially the same, but obviously all the old pages will have to be deleted.

I am going to be putting up a "moved permanently" redirect so none of the old pages will 404 and will point to the equivalent page on the newly designed site.

now, my question is, will we get penalised in google for changing everything around? Is there anything more that can be done to ensure a smooth transition so that the new site inherits the ranking of the old?

thanks!

U should redirect the old URL's to the new one. Only then U can Retain the previous ranking. I think, if u will not do so then it will consider all pages as new one and will not pass the existing PR.

This is all what I know all about.

Wait for other replies to confirm

Regards


"Simple Living High Thinking"

I just re-designed my site about 2 weeks ago. All internal pages were changed and I used permanent re-directs for all of them (pointing to the new pages). Within 2 days, all my Google SERPS completely dropped!

I'm still patiently waiting for them to return. I'm assuming a "red flag" was raised when all the page names changed, and it's only a matter of time before they return. Since I've done nothing wrong, and we held strong positions for several years... we should be alright after the "smoke clears". But I am a little worried since it's going on week 3...

Well, everything is going to start from scratch with the new pages and it used to take a couple of months for the pr to migrate with the 301's back when the updates were coming monthly.

I've not done what you're planning but I'd expect a rocky road. Couldn't you just use ISAPI to rewrite the file extensions and avoid the hassle?

PR will migrate over time of course, but it will be penalized a bit for using redirects. So, beware.

Ivan, welcome... but, there is no penalty associated with a 301 redirect.

Heh, I know. Though, I have heard complaints from PR dropping and never coming back after 301ing whole of a website, so I came to conclusion that every kind of redirect is causing penalty, which is just much grosser for 302 than 301.

Perhaps, I am wrong, but...

I 301-ed my whole site and google is still seeing my old pages a year later for reasons I can't understand. All other Search Engines picked up on it right away. Maybe I should have hung on to the .asp extensions after all. So be ware...

hmm, thanks for your replies guys!

looks to me like its a potential minefield! which is a scary thought.

how about this for an idea ... I keep the old pages as they are but change the index page to point to the new pages. when google has indexed the new site I'll replace the old pages with redirects. I suppose google with see duplicate content for a while but at least it won't be all happening at once.

another thought, I could do a staged roll out. say, three or four important pages a week. is this a better idea?

really really appreciate this.

Staged roll out is a nice idea;

can't say the same about duplicate content.

no penalty I doubt it, a brief filter is, however, likely, given my experience. Huge page changes brings up flags, not penalty flags, but flags. Even if you didn't 301 them google will eventually go, hey, something is better and different with this site. 301 usually speeds this process up.

Is it that only me that don't understands this sentence, or is this really some undecipherable bunch of words?

hmm for the most part yea,

let me help your english

no penalty (I doubt it), a brief filter is, however, likely, given my experience.

THAT'S much clearer Thank you