More or less, all internet users are informed about the URL (Uniform Resouce Locator). A URL is simply the address of a site in internet. With the help of URL, you can directly access to a particular site. While general people just need to know the URL only to access a site, webmasters have to perform lots of tasks with it.
Webmasters need to create thousands of links through URLs. Time to time they need to check the site's status through URLs. But these are not my concern in this post. Today I'd like to discuss about how to inform Google when you change your site's address.
When a site gets a new address/ URL, definitely it loses social sharings. All backlinks of the site will also be lost. And search engines will not entertain that site as before. Because you're simply a stranger to them! Search engines even don't know about your site until you submit it for indexing.
But Google Webmaster Tools allows you to tell Google when your site moves to a new domain or URL. You can do this through Change of Address option. But there are some preconditions you must fill up:
- You must have an account on Google Webmaster.
- You should have sufficient knowledge to handle Google Webmaster Tools.
- Both your old and new sites should be added and verified in Google Webmaster.
- Make sure your original site is not a subdomain. (ie. munnamark.blogspot.com)
- Your new site shouldn't be a subdomain. (ie. markspc.blgospot.com
Advantages of using this Tool
- You can easily recover your search ranking position.
- It's safe. Because only verified site owners can use it.
- Google will index your site quickly.
Instruction:
- Sign in to your Google Webmaster account.
- On the Homepage, click on the site that you wanna work with.
- Click on the drop down arrow by the side of Gear icon (Look at the above image).
- Select Change of Address
- After completing steps 1 - 3, click Select a verified site (Your new site).
That's it. Changes will stay in effect for 180 days.
Troubleshooting:
If your new site doesn't appear in the Select a site, make sure -
Troubleshooting:
If your new site doesn't appear in the Select a site, make sure -
- Both of your sites are added and verified in Webmaster Tools.
- Both the sites have root level domains, not a subdomain. (ie. www.example.com)
- You haven't already requested for change of address.
For more details, please read Webmaster Tools Help - Tell Google when your site moves . . .
Nice post for Google Webmaster Tool.
ReplyDeleteI have a suggestion, why don't you create a much more broad video tutorial for Google Webmaster Tool? I think your viewers will definitely like it. It's up to you if you want to do it or not.
Yeah I agree. But making video tutorials is much more time consuming. And to be honest, I don't have enough support etc. etc. Thanks for the suggestion . . .
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