To link or redirect? That is the question.

[JCurrier]

I have a site that I don't really use any longer but still has some okay rankings.

I'd like to take advantage of the links point to that site. Is it better to redirect that site to my new one or to just place a link on the homepage pointing to my new site?

[RepLoc_Tim]

You should redirect by mapping the pages appropriately.  The old sites seems like you are kind of abandoning it, so whatever rankings it currently has, will likely drop over time and the links will lose value.  As long as you are staying active with the new site, everyone wins - visitors get to an active site that is being updated, instead of an abandoned one.  You win because you are not going to have to worry about the old site or losing that traffic or losing link juice.  The search engines win because when they send traffic to the old URLs, the visitor ends up on a better site with fresh content.

[MichaelYork]

Try as best you can to do a 301 redirect page for page i.e. map out the structure and relevant page and then redirect it to the relevant page on your new site. That way you have the best chance of passing on the relevant juice and hopefully rankings for each page.

Just a link on the homepage will give you a far less juice through and little of the backlinking power to the old site that you are trying to harness for the new sites' rankings.

Hope this helps!

[maestrosonrisas]

I have the same question that you. Good question, hope to see the answer of the most knowllege persons.

From my point of view the sites that are ranking well could pass good page rank and compete on google first page and give traffic to your brand.

On other hand if we redirect, the redirected site will lose rankings and will not get authority with time. Maybe i would prefer to place it on a domain parking instead of redirect