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question about forwarding.

Discussion in 'Computers & Technology Forum' started by exscentric, May 2, 2007.

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  1. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    I have used my local library for many years for my website. I started it long before getting a domain name so as the net grew, people linked to the library domain. Several years ago I got a domain name and linked it to the library and that worked well.

    The library has been talking about shutting it down for a long time so I set up my site on another server (thanks minihost.org :) and transferred my domain name to that new server.

    However, even after transferring my domain name several months ago there are many links on the web that still aim at the original server address (the library domain www.open.org/~...... . and we are still getting 13-15,000 visits a month there even though I have noted on the main page that I have moved things and list the new addy.

    I could do a search and contact each website personally but that would take days.

    When they close the library server is there some way that I can forward those visits to the new server where my domain name is? I don't think that they are going to keep the server up to allow us to do forwarding from their server. The problem is many sites link to specific pages on my site (I have 2-300 individual pages) so there would be dozens of different links that would have to be covered.

    I will do the search and personal contact bit if need be but automatic would be much better :laugh:

    Thoughts?
     
    #1 exscentric, May 2, 2007
  2. ccrobinson

    ccrobinson Active Member

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    IP forwarding maybe? I'm neither a web nor networking expert, but this sounds like something that IP forwarding could be setup to do.
     
    #2 ccrobinson, May 3, 2007
  3. PJ

    PJ Active Member
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    Hmm ... all I can think of is a redirect. But I imagine it's the library that would have to set it up?
     
    #3 PJ, May 3, 2007
  4. Don

    Don Well-Known Member
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    If I undestand the problem correctly...the search engines are still showing the old link. Other websites that have links to your site, are still showing the old link.

    For the first part, make sure your keywords in your meta tags are up to date. You may need to visit a few search engine sites and re-submit your information. If you have a robots.txt file, you may be prohibiting some of the spiders from registering your site properly.

    Look for a re-direct script to place on the main page of the old website, with a message that says something like "We've Moved; please update your bookmarks."

    Finally, I'd look for some scripts that register where visitor is coming from, to possibly make a list of e-mail addresses to send a "change of address" notification. Not sure they exist; but there might be something similar in function that would only take a little tweaking.

    Just my 2 cents.
     
    #4 Don, May 5, 2007
  5. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    Thanks all. I've been emailing the old server support and seems the best that can be done is a redirect that they will do. That will help.

    The problem is that I put the site up when the internet was just getting a good running start and a lot of people put links to particular studies/files long before I got a domain name. Those links are turning up the 13000 or so visits on the old site. I transferred the domain name several months ago and the numbers barely changed so most of the traffic is from these old links.

    Google and I will have to spend a few hours/days together and I will just email the sites and let them know there has been a change.

    I wanted to get a domain name when I first started but they were expensive back then and we couldn't afford it. I never dreamed the city would shut down this server either so wasn't worried about it.

    Ahhh change is what makes live interesting :laugh:
     
    #5 exscentric, May 5, 2007
  6. kubel

    kubel New Member

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    If the library admin will do a server-side redirect for you, that's the best you can hope for. But if they eventually shut down that server, the redirect will go with it.

    Your best bet is to check your traffic statistics (if you have access to them on the library server), and find out where the majority of your referrals (sites that have links to your site) are coming from. Statistics are usually found in static report tools like Awstats, Webalizer, or Analog- so if you have a control panel on your library account, look for those, and look under the headings "Top X Referrers" or something like that. If you don't have access to this info, the library server admin should, and, if he's a nice guy, he should be able to look into it and provide you with a list of top referrers.

    Once you get these links, you can pick the ones that are referring the most people to your site and try contacting the webmasters of those sites to have the URLs updated. It might take some time, but at least you'll know which sites send the most people your way, and make sure it stays that way.

    Good luck! :)
     
    #6 kubel, May 12, 2007
  7. exscentric

    exscentric Well-Known Member
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    Thanks. I put a redirect on the main page and left the site up as it was. May do a redirect for each page if I get ambitious since most links are to specific pages.

    I googled and yahooed and found a lot of the refering sites. I will continue to do that for awhile till I get most of them. I was just wishing there was an easier way :laugh:
     
    #7 exscentric, May 13, 2007
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