Go to main content

Textpattern CMS support forum

You are not logged in. Register | Login | Help

#1 2007-12-13 09:00:44

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

hi, I dont know that much about seo so this might sound silly,

Im upgrading a static html site to a dynamic one using txp.
The site has been online for 6 years and has good rankings for its target keywords.
I dont want to be the guy that screws that up.
So from what i understand google sort of maps the site links and coresponding page names.
Any re-arrangement of this will result in losing rankings, unless i do some kind of redirecting-in the site map maybe??
dont know-anyone have experience with this? is it as simple as using the site maps plug in.

edited for spelling

Last edited by kvnmcwebn (2007-12-13 09:02:09)


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

Offline

#2 2007-12-13 09:52:44

Gocom
Developer Emeritus
From: Helsinki, Finland
Registered: 2006-07-14
Posts: 4,533
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

Just simply use sitemap, with corrected structure and then redirect those wrong urls to correct ones with 301 (Moved Permanently), that tells searchengines to update their index’s urls.

Could be done simply with .httaccess or just placing php-header to those old static files, ie:

<?
Header( "HTTP/1.1 301 Moved Permanently" );
Header( "Location: http://www.new-url.com" );
?>

Without redirections searchengines would find it as double content and the old urls as missing ones that will cause a major dorp in position.

Cheers!

Last edited by Gocom (2007-12-13 09:55:07)

Offline

#3 2007-12-13 11:23:07

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

hi gocom,

Well cool thats exactly what i was wondering, but just allow me to clarify.

So your saying leave those old html files up and put the redirect in the header?…cool.
so when somebody lands on a page from a google query they would actually land on the old html page first without every seeing it cause of the 301 redirect-? is that right?

How long should i leave those old html files up- i mean how would i know when the new pages are totally saturated?

Again the main site url isnt goint to change. Just the page names eg. www.url.ie/pensions.html will look like www.url.ie/pensions
just want to be sure,

Thanks a million

Last edited by kvnmcwebn (2008-01-09 22:48:31)


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

Offline

#4 2007-12-13 16:27:04

maniqui
Member
From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Registered: 2004-10-10
Posts: 3,070
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

You can also do it from the .htaccess, and so, you won’t have to keep the old files (neither edit them).

Here you have a great guide on .htaccess and redirects: http://perishablepress.com/press/2006/01/10/stupid-htaccess-tricks/#red1

I think it’s cleaner: you keep all the redirects in on place (.htaccess) and also, remove the old files from server.


La música ideas portará y siempre continuará

TXP Builders – finely-crafted code, design and txp

Offline

#5 2007-12-13 16:39:00

maniqui
Member
From: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Registered: 2004-10-10
Posts: 3,070
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

An example:
(in your .htaccessm, before the <ifModule mod_rewrite.c>…)

Redirect 301 /resume.html http://www.mysite.com/about/resume

Last edited by maniqui (2007-12-13 16:40:40)


La música ideas portará y siempre continuará

TXP Builders – finely-crafted code, design and txp

Offline

#6 2007-12-13 16:45:08

net-carver
Archived Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-03-08
Posts: 1,648

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

maniqui

Here you have a great guide on .htaccess and redirects: http://perishablepress.com/press/2006/01/10/stupid-htaccess-tricks/#red1

thanks for that link! There are also some useful cheat-sheets here, including one for mod_rewrite.


Steve

Offline

#7 2007-12-14 12:08:31

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

hi all,
thanks for all the great tips.

edited to say thanks for the great links

Last edited by kvnmcwebn (2007-12-14 14:59:29)


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

Offline

#8 2007-12-20 16:05:24

Dawk
Member
Registered: 2005-02-22
Posts: 74

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

Hey guys :)

I’m migrating an old messy URL site to its new TXP home & am having problems on some redirects. :(
Never had to redirect dynamic URL’s & have never came across this problem w/TXP before.
I guess TXP’s rewrites are interfering with the redirects & it is appending the query strings?

EDIT: Got it!

Combo of htaccess Rewrites/Redirects & PHP Redirects did the job.

Last edited by Dawk (2007-12-20 23:14:39)

Offline

#9 2007-12-23 13:53:07

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

quick question on the htaccess redirect

how come:
Redirect 301 /resume.html http://www.mysite.com/about/resume
doesnt have to be?
Redirect 301 http://www.mysite/resume.html http://www.mysite.com/about/resume


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

Offline

#10 2007-12-23 14:45:42

net-carver
Archived Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-03-08
Posts: 1,648

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

Kevin

Your Redirect directive is already living at http://www.mysite.com so it’s not needed for the source of the redirect. However, the target could be local or off-site — hence the absolute URI for it. Theoretically you could do…

Redirect 301 /resume.html /about/resume

… and the server should add the correct bits. But sticking with the absolute version might be safer.


Steve

Offline

#11 2007-12-23 14:50:18

net-carver
Archived Plugin Author
Registered: 2006-03-08
Posts: 1,648

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

Here’s the online documentation for it.

You could also use RedirectPermanent for Apache2 and up (just scroll down that documentation listing a little for it.)


Steve

Offline

#12 2007-12-23 16:03:39

kvnmcwebn
Member
From: Ireland
Registered: 2007-01-27
Posts: 724
Website

Re: upgrading static site to txp site, seo question

makes sense,
thanks steve


its a bad hen that wont scratch itself.
photogallery

Offline

Board footer

Powered by FluxBB