Forum issue: Bad/improper use of redirects
GordonMcComb
Posts: 3,366
By now we all know that links into the old forum are broken. This includes links from Google, for most sites, the source of the most visits.
Changed links are to be expected, and usually there's a piece of middleware server code that rewrites the old link to a new one of the same page, and sending out a 301 Moved Permanently code.
It is important for sites to have this server code running when a new platform is rolled out, so as not to lose any standing in the Google searches. It should not be something done after the fact. Every day of bad links is a link that Google begins to mistrust.
Not surprisingly, this isn't how the change in forums is being handled. What they are doing now will lead to 1) loss of all SEO for the valuable links now lost and 2) possible penalties because of how it's being done. I urge management to consider the importance of maintaining link integrity.
Links from Google to specific forum posts are being redirected with a code 301. Fine and dandy, but they ALL go to the home page. Google hates that, and often penalizes sites for it. When Google recrawls, they have no choice but to delete those links as invalid. The SEO for the forum then has to be rebuilt form scratch. It can take several years, and these days with so many competing sources, might not ever match what they have today.
If they don't want to bother with 301 redirects to the same thread on the new forum, the only other acceptable method is to return a 404 Not Found. Google allows this, and prefers it to a faked redirect to a home page. The 404 page can be customized to provide users with help in finding what they want, like a direct link to a search box.
Sigh. It's like Parallax wants to throw their money away. Why on earth trash inbound links, the source of considerable traffic, and therefore potential customers. Really, it mystifies me.
Changed links are to be expected, and usually there's a piece of middleware server code that rewrites the old link to a new one of the same page, and sending out a 301 Moved Permanently code.
It is important for sites to have this server code running when a new platform is rolled out, so as not to lose any standing in the Google searches. It should not be something done after the fact. Every day of bad links is a link that Google begins to mistrust.
Not surprisingly, this isn't how the change in forums is being handled. What they are doing now will lead to 1) loss of all SEO for the valuable links now lost and 2) possible penalties because of how it's being done. I urge management to consider the importance of maintaining link integrity.
Links from Google to specific forum posts are being redirected with a code 301. Fine and dandy, but they ALL go to the home page. Google hates that, and often penalizes sites for it. When Google recrawls, they have no choice but to delete those links as invalid. The SEO for the forum then has to be rebuilt form scratch. It can take several years, and these days with so many competing sources, might not ever match what they have today.
If they don't want to bother with 301 redirects to the same thread on the new forum, the only other acceptable method is to return a 404 Not Found. Google allows this, and prefers it to a faked redirect to a home page. The 404 page can be customized to provide users with help in finding what they want, like a direct link to a search box.
Sigh. It's like Parallax wants to throw their money away. Why on earth trash inbound links, the source of considerable traffic, and therefore potential customers. Really, it mystifies me.
Comments
I can only imagine that the rule "Thou shalt not break links" is enforced, the old forum stays where it is, read only, and new stuff happens at the new URLs. Eventually the old forums software is replaced with the static pages it generates.
I have no idea how hard this all is but I might of guessed lessons were learned after the same issues with the last forum migration.
For example, here's a thread on Let's Make Robots.where I list the various Propeller boards I think would work well as a robot controller. I counted 15 forum links posted in that thread alone. The few links I made to the Parallax store fortunately still work but not the links to the forum.
If the links won't be fixed, I'll likely make an effort to fix the links where I can but I'd rather spend the time documenting my latest Propeller projects rather than fixing links in old documentation.
As an example; your most excellent sig. is broken.
As an example; your most excellent sig. is broken.
I hadn't noticed. I was pleased to see the signature has survived the transition. I hadn't tested the link.
I attempted to find the thread but there no longer appears to be a test forum. Ug. I had a lot of things listed I wanted to be able to find again.
I had been prepared for the list to be made read only but it hadn't occurred to me the test forum would disappear entirely.
Double drat.
A 404 tells them you intend the link to be gone. A 301 tells them you've moved the link to a new page. But when all your 301'd links go to the same page, Google says to itself, "Self, if they won't bother redirecting to the actual content, it shows me they don't care, or they're doing something naughty. So I'm going to take away their SEO." The link is delisted, and if there are enough improperly redirected links (for all their spider knows, it's a spam redirect), they sandbox the site, and if you're lucky, send you an email telling you what needs to be fixed. If you are VERY lucky, your SEO returns in 9-18 months.
These days there are no quick SEO tricks that can be relied on. SEO takes months and even years to earn. I struggle with it every day to keep traffic up on my sites. And here's Parallax literally throwing it away. Crazy, man, just crazy.
Hopefully you've seen this issue has been fixed.
Even my signature works. Apparently the test forum was merged with General Discussion.
I'm down to a single drat now.