losing page rank with 301 redirects??

Small Planet Guide · 08-15-2006, 11:02 PM

I have a webpage where I have already started quite a bit of linkbuilding and now I think I need to create a subdomain that includes some of the keywords I am trying to optimize for...not only for SEO but also because it will help me expand the site in the future and be able to optimize for each individual subdomain I add later (i.e. different cities and/or different product lines).

For example, I have a domain name like this: www.XYZ.com and I would like to change it to newsub.XYZ.com or maybe even newsub.XYZ.com/product-line-keyword/ (think Craigslist and the way they subdomain the cities and products)

And I figured I could just 301 redirect my current site to the new subdomain created but I am worried that it will hurt the Page rank being passed by the current links if they are linking to a domain that is redirected to another domain via 301. Is this going to happen or does all the page rank get passed with a 301? If it does lower the page rank, do you think the advantage I will get by having keywords in my new domain name will offset the loss. I need to change at some point in the future but if it hurts then I may just wait to change when I have to.

Anyway, your advice on this situation would be greatly appreciated. I hope it makes sense.

Small Planet Guide · 08-18-2006, 11:36 AM

Oops. I just realized the example domain I used was to some other site...my apologies for anybody going to that link thinking it was mine.

I am surprised I have not had an answer yet...there are usually some good answers within a couple of hours but none so far. Does the post not make sense?

Buskerdoo · 08-18-2006, 11:42 AM

I'm sorry about your lack of response.

I don't have time to look at the specific details of what you are doing but I have had great success using 301's. Google was fast and the pr showed up on the tool bar after their update.

I think it will work for you just fine.

bermuda · 08-19-2006, 05:49 PM

Do you just have to use subdomains? You can easily create folders for your cities and forget about subdomains, no worries about PR shifting as well.

autoecart · 08-19-2006, 10:50 PM

With using 301's you may temperarily loose some rankings and PR but Google will eventually figure everything out. One thing I have found useful is to 301 redirect my site so that all incoming links which do not have the www. are redirected to the URL with the www. this consolidates all of your sites PR to one URL format.