From shtml to html

[Rob]

http://www.google.com/search?q=free+...&start=90&sa=N

Currently listed #103 for "free games", Google still shows the 2-week old title for my site free-games.as. About 2 weeks ago I changed the whole website to a new design. The previous design worked with shtml files, the new design works with regular html files. I have had this problem before with 1001onlinegames.com (which now has no inbound links according to Google, therefore no PR), which also changed from shtml to html files and is now not ranking like it should. Google seems to not be able to see the difference and will keep the old listing in the search results, even though the new page has also already been indexed ( http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&l...=free-games.as ).

How do I get Google to notice the difference? I heard something about a 301 (or something close to that numer) error document that would tell Google.. something..? I don't know.

Any help is appreciated.

[rustybrick]

You can set up 301 redirects from old pages to new pages.

Also make sure to make a custom 404 page, use your site map or something.

[Rob]

Ah so it was 301. I added it to my htaccess, hopefully Google will catch up. I also set up 404 error pages.

Thanks for the help.

In case anyone wants to read up on 301 redirects, go here:
http://www.tamingthebeast.net/articl...1-redirect.htm

[Thanol]

Question? Is there really a reason to switch from shtml to html if the pages are already ranked?

I mean you don't have to use SSI on shtml pages to make them work.

[Rob]

True enough. I don´t think it would be a problem if I was still using shtml files without actually using SSI. If I knew it would cause these problems, I probably wouldn´t have switched. Still, I´m a perfectionist, I would have a hard time having shtml pages with no SSI.

I know, I'm weird