How many websites in Google Serps

[Mark_Ch]

Let say you are an electrician. You have a website in Google Serps

After much deliberation you realise that the current domain name is giving the wrong signals to your potential customers. So you decide to rebrand to a new domain name. The new domain will have fresh content (no duplication).

Question
Can you have both instances live in Google Serps and eventually retire the current website via a 301 redirect to the new domain.

Thanks Mark

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Mark,

If there is zero relationship of data between the old site and the new one (such as you've described) you should likely be okay. Regarding blocking bots from crawling the new site until it is ready, this falls a bit outside my area. I expect you could set up the robots.txt file for this, but I recommend starting a new question on this topic to get expert advice from our technical SEO experts. You have to be sure to do this correctly to avoid problems. Hope this helps.

[Mark_Ch]

Hi Miriam,

Thank you for the advice.

I understand the consequences of Google seeing both live sites and same NAP information. I have a few additional question.

Additional Questions Is there a way to stop Google crawling the new work in development site?

If I do not associate the new work in development site with any NAP information, i.e, info on website, directories, Google Places, etc. will this still effect me?

Thanks Mark

[MiriamEllis]

Hi Mark,

It sounds like you've determined that re-branding is essential for your business. As we're talking about a local business, I'm going to recommend against having 2 live websites at the same time. Here's why. You local rankings depend on the consistency of your NAP+ W (name, address, phone + website). Should Google begin to see 2 URLs associated with your any part of your business data, they may lose trust in what they've gathered about your business and you may lose rankings because of this.

If you're going to re-brand, I recommend rolling it all out at once and then undertaking the major work of citation cleanup. If this isn't something you've previously handled, I strongly recommend that you consider hiring a professional outfit for this task to ensure that all possible mentions of your NAP have been brought into compliance with the new information. WhiteSpark is a good company for such work and I believe Moz members may get a discount for signing up with Whitespark's citation services.

Hope this opinion is helpful to you.

[Mark_Ch]

Hi Andy,

Thanks again for all you help. I agree more user input here is needed.

I welcome additional community users to contribute.

[Andy.Drinkwater]

You are correct Mark, and this is where link networks come from.

However, I can't see any area of what you are trying to do as being a major issue but perhaps someone else who has been in just this situation would like to chip in? I personally would just go ahead and launch the new site, but as I can see a few differences in your situation and my own, perhaps a few precautions would be a good bet.

-Andy

[Mark_Ch]

Hi Andy,

My new site will be the daddy of all sites. It will provide feature rich content, an A-Z of information, and all things relevant.
My plans are to work towards being an authority and reference point in addition to provide a service.

I would like to run both site together for about 6 months. My current old site will be my bread & butter.

Why 6 **Months?**Initially, like all new sites there will be no seo value. When customers send quote requests and ring, I would like to give them an opportunity to see the new site. This will be my way to see how effectively they are able to navigate, add or tweak relevant information, etc.

During the 6 months, customer experience will be key towards perfecting the site based on user site experience and human conversations.

Additionally, with social engagement via the new site, I will be able to gain backlinks from users sharing valuable feature rich content. Upon such time in the 6 month windows, should the new site overtake the old in SERPS then i will make the switch.

Make the Switch: 301 redirect my old site to the new site. Pass all things goods from the old to new.

Concerns I had read a while ago that having more than 1 site in SERPS within the same trading area is a violation of Google policy.
Put simply,  anyone with seo knowledge or deep pockets can create untold websites to manipulate SERPS.

Thanks Mark

[Andy.Drinkwater]

I could have sworn I replied to this Mark. My apologies.

From what you say, this sounds like an ideal candidate for a rebrand and there is no problem with having both domains live. Neither is going to be duplicating the other so there will be no problem. As I said, I have 8 currently and Google pretty much loves them all. Unique content throughout.

How long are you thinking before retiring the old site? Will you be relying on that in the SERPs for the time being? You could always noindex the whole site if you wanted Google to stop using it but still be there for people when they land?

-Andy

[Mark_Ch]

Hi All,

I welcome more information on this subject.

Thanks Mark

[Mark_Ch]

Hi Andy,

No issues with content.
Current domain name does not represent size of company, portfolio of services or potential market. Rebranding would simply provide greater opportunities and customers.

Thanks Mark

[Andy.Drinkwater]

Hi Mark,

Can I ask if it is the domain name that is causing problems, or the content? Unless there is a real need to rebrand, I would look to explore other possibilities before jumping into a new domain - unless a rebrand is what you really want.

Edit- I forgot to add that there is no problem having a second site in Google either. I have 8 in total, because I use a single page design, and have no issues at all.

-Andy