SEO Question - Domain Name Redirect - Effects on SEO and Backlinks

[Linda Buquet]

I have a question that's been twisting my mind in knots for awhile. I've been wanting to ask David, but thought I would post here publicly in case anyone else has insights AND in case the resulting Q and A is helpful to anyone else.

I have a new site I've been needing to launch for awhile but no time to design it and get it set up right now. So I am considering just pointing it at a page on a current domain temporarily (or maybe even permanently) but figuring out the SEO implications and how the link juice will work is, like I said, twisting my mind in knots. Just can't figure it out. So I'll just ask using fake domains for an example.

Mature domain with PR (fake name): petproducts.com
New Domain (fake name): dogs.com

Question 1: If I point dogs.com to petproducts.com/dogs, would it be easier to initially rank dogs.com? Would G see any link juice or domain authority or age? In other words, since dogs.com is pointing to petproducts is Google seeing the brand new dogs.com site or is it looking past it and seeing petproducts.com/dogs (I can't even figure out how to ask the question right, do you understand what I am asking?)

Question 2: If I get 20 links to dogs.com which is really nowhere, just pointing to content on petproducts.com/dogs - then 6 mo from now build out dogs.com on it's own domain, those links will largely still be OK right? Since they are to dogs.com?

ALSO let's say I get the above scenario ranked #3 for my keyword, if I later move site to it's own domain will I likely drop? (The content and meta would be moved to the new site, the links I THINK would follow, but the site would no longer be sitting on the authority aged domain.)

Question 3: Is there any disadvantage to pointing the domain initially just to get started? I need it right away, just need to take a quick short cut before building the site.

Question 4: Also isn't there potentially a little advantage? Giving the domain a head start on getting some age? If I wait a year til I have time to build it out then I have a brand new virgin domain. If I at least get it up and start linking to it now and then build in a year, at that point it will be like a 1 yr domain instead of a brand new one, right?

Question 5: Dogs.com is not a super important site or brand to me, I just need to use it to feature and link to some of my clients and need it to link some social profiles back to. Is there any problem with just continuing to point dogs.com to petproducts.com/dogs?

No one can see it's pointed right? If I wanted and it was easier I could just leave it like that?

Any downsides?

 

[djbaxter]

I'm not 100% certain of the answers to your questions but here are my gut feelings:

Mature domain with PR (fake name): petproducts.com
New Domain (fake name): dogs.com

Question 1: If I point dogs.com to petproducts.com/dogs, would it be easier to initially rank dogs.com? Would G see any link juice or domain authority or age? In other words, since dogs.com is pointing to petproducts is Google seeing the brand new dogs.com site or is it looking past it and seeing petproducts.com/dogs (I can't even figure out how to ask the question right, do you understand what I am asking?)

If you simply park petproducts.com and point the domain to dogs.com. I don't think any advantage would accrue to dogs.com. If you want the PR and other SEO benefits to transfer to dogs.com, you would need to use a permanent redirect. With any other scenario, Google will see it as just a temporary redirect.

Question 2: If I get 20 links to dogs.com which is really nowhere, just pointing to content on petproducts.com/dogs - then 6 mo from now build out dogs.com on it's own domain, those links will largely still be OK right? Since they are to dogs.com?

Yes.

ALSO let's say I get the above scenario ranked #3 for my keyword, if I later move site to it's own domain will I likely drop? (The content and meta would be moved to the new site, the links I THINK would follow, but the site would no longer be sitting on the authority aged domain.)

I don't think this would have any permanent impact although you might see a temporary dip as Google adjusts.

Question 3: Is there any disadvantage to pointing the domain initially just to get started? I need it right away, just need to take a quick short cut before building the site.

I don't think so. If there were any negative impact, it would be to petproducts.com rather than dogs.com.

Question 4: Also isn't there potentially a little advantage? Giving the domain a head start on getting some age? If I wait a year til I have time to build it out then I have a brand new virgin domain. If I at least get it up and start linking to it now and then build in a year, at that point it will be like a 1 yr domain instead of a brand new one, right?

Only if you use a permanent redirect.

Question 5: Dogs.com is not a super important site or brand to me, I just need to use it to feature and link to some of my clients and need it to link some social profiles back to. Is there any problem with just continuing to point dogs.com to petproducts.com/dogs?

I don't think so but without a permanent redirect you are losing any benefits that dogs.com could otherwise derive.

No one can see it's pointed right? If I wanted and it was easier I could just leave it like that?

It depends on how the "pointing" is done but usually visitors would/could be aware that they are viewing a site that is called not petproducts.com but dogs.com.

 

[Linda Buquet]

Thanks so much David for taking the time to answer. I really appreciate it.

Guess I may just keep this on the back burner til I have time to do it right. Was hoping my short cut idea would be a temp option.

Thank you!