Moving Site with #1 Ranking to New Domain
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I want to move a site of mine that ranks #1 for many keywords to a new domain name. I have already redirected many smaller less important sites to the new domain, but have held off on my most popular site. If I redirect the entire site with a 301 redirect, what can I expect with my number one ranking, particular for coveted search terms..thanks for the input.
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Also - if the only change is the domain name, (URLs are otherwise identical, content is otherwise identical), then you may see more of a hit at Bing than Google simply because Bing emphasizes age of content a bit more.
Also I'd highly suggest a comprehensive link building initiative as the new domain goes live so while you're working to get as many existing links pointing directly (to bypass 301s on those 3rd party authority signals), you'll also want to have a variety of new quality links to show that "this new domain really is still authoritative and trustworthy". That should help ensure any hit you take is not as long as it would otherwise be.
I'd also encourage a press release sent out through PRWeb.com or PRNewswire.com, and social push announcing the change. All these are as much for signals confirming it's a legit transfer as they are for other SEO reasons.
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There is always a risk when doing 301.
In my experiences, they are not very big, when the 301 is done properly.
One potential pitfall can be keyword-rich domains. If you rank #1 for [Blue Widgets] and redirect from bluewidgets.com to xyz.com, you'll probably take a hit in the ranking.
If you are not redirecting from a keyword rich domain, it shouldn't cause any problems over the long term. Just remember to try to contact as many of the ingoing linking websites and have them change the link.
Also, although a 301 is called a permanent redirect, it can usually be undone and old rankings will be restored.
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