Re: [gentoo-user] Major site redesign, SEO, and 301 redirects

[Mick <michaelkintzios@gmail.com>]

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On Wednesday 30 Sep 2015 01:28:51 Alan McKinnon wrote:
> On 29/09/2015 22:00, Tanstaafl wrote:
> > Hi all,
> > 
> > I am not a web (or SEO) guy, but I manage our DNS and have for a long
> > time.
> > 
> > The boss has contracted with a web development company to do a full
> > redesign of our website.
> > 
> > Our website has hundreds of thousands of pages, and years of SEO behind
> > it. The guys who was her until recently was adamant that we must be very
> > carefl with the redesign so as not to totally break SEO, and possibly
> > getting blacklisted by Google.
> > 
> > The web developers are insisting that they need full access to our DNS
> > (hosted by DNSMadeEasy), and the only reason I can think of for this is
> > they plan on setting up HTTP redirects (DNSMadeEasy equivalent of a 301
> > redirect) for these pages - but hundreds of thousands of them?
> 
> I've been thinking about this some more.
> 
> We all assumed "full access" means "so we can change stuff". Maybe it
> really means they want to see what's in "dig axfr" (a zone transfer)
> which they normally can't see. There are TXT records in DNS that they
> might be interested in.
> 
> It would be wise to clarify with the devs exactly what it is they are
> looking for.
> 
> And overall, in your shoes I would be firm, adamant and above all polite
> and say that infrastructure changes go through you and you alone, and
> must be vetted by you with full transparency.
> 
> > Wouldn't this be better done at the web server level? Or am I just
> > ignorant?
> > 
> > Would love to hear experiences (good and bad), and a recommendation for
> > what I should do.
> > 
> > thanks

I couldn't agree more with all the warnings that have been posted.  However, 
it may simply be that they want to build a new website and they want to 
redirect your DNS from your currently hosted server to theirs.  Are they 
offering SaaS, or will you be hosting the new website on prem?  In any case, 
they could just ask you to do this, if you agree.  Given that "possession is 
nine-tenths of the law" I would not let them anywhere near your DNS records - 
period.

With regards to being blacklisted by Google, you have to be careful indeed.  
Google will blacklist bad code and malicious code.  If your code is clean, you 
don't fill your metadata with repetitive cr*ap and your topic is not faced 
with a competition of millions selling exactly the same undifferentiated 
product, then you should be OK in organic listing rankings.  Having mirrored 
websites on different DNS' will also blacklist you, although DNS or http 
redirects are of course legit.

A lot of so called SEO companies are not actually streamlining the content and 
metadata, but exploiting paid-for Google Ads and in a non-transparent way to 
milk the customer, on top of the Google charges.  Most of these companies set 
up Google Ads once and rarely if ever come back to to tune it.  I couldn't 
care to list the number of websites we switched off Google Ads and saw no 
discernible different in the rankings.

BTW, although SEO is not rocket science its not something you would leave to 
your marketing people alone, or for that matter to your coding people alone.  
You need both.  
-- 
Regards,
Mick

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