How to Setup Custom Domain in Blogger (and Avoid Losing PR)
Questions that I’ve asked myself before switching domains:
Is it possible to retain all the rankings after switching from blogspot to custom domain? Can I still own my page rank after switching domains? What would happen to other rankings (Alexa, Technorati, Yahoo backlinks)?
Did you notice my new domain?
photo credit: bigevil600 (SXC)
As some of you had noticed, I’ve changed the URL of this blog to a new domain. For this little blog that has some PR and good Alexa stats, it is not an easy decision. I did not even think that this blog would really make it that far in statistics and put me to a good exposure to various opportunities. For anyone doing paid reviews, PR still remains the most important thing: higher PR means more paid reviews. A PR of N/A or zero means lesser paid review opportunities.
I’ve searched over the World Wide Web for information before I switched to a new address. Purchasing a new domain is not a new thing to me, as I’ve done it already before. This is the third domain purchase: the first two ones were spent on my personal blogs. I’ve lost a PR4 blog due to a new domain.
Throwing Out the Old URL
Over the weekend I decided to throw away my rankings and see what the new domain will lead me; being a lady programmer I had been curious about what will happen to this one. If you are planning to own a new domain (believe me, it feels great to have a custom domain even if you lose all the rankings), then you might want to dig in to more information that I had consulted myself.
photo credit: lusi (SXC)
Blogger help has some resources to setup custom domains.
How do I Use a Custom Domain on my Blog?
How do I create a CNAME record for my custom domain?
You might find Amanda’s information, but she still points out to other bloggers like Blogbloke below on setting up custom domains. She’s great on explaining how to tweak blogger templates, but on the discussion on domain topics, her advice on using meta-refresh pages is not recommended. Still, I’m giving out the link references below.
How to Setup Your Blogger Custom Domain
A Better Way to Setup Your Custom Domain?
How to Setup your Blogger Custom Domain with GoDaddy
Blogbloke does not have a great looking website (in my opinion; well, I messed up my blog and I had missing parts that I haven’t got to fix in my site), but his write up on setting custom domains using 301 redirect is the best one I’ve seen around. This is the one that I’ve followed during the entire setup.
Blogger Custom Domain: Best Setup for Optimizing your Blog Pagerank!
6 Blog Tips Why You Should be using a Custom Domain Name for your Blog
Blogger Custom Domain: Best Setup for Optimizing your Blog Pagerank!
Do you want to understand what 301 redirect is all about? That’s the one that I have used for the new domain. It is the proper way to redirect a site. Don’t ever use 302 redirect and meta-refresh tags.
Transferring a Website to a New Domain
Best Practices When Moving Your Site
I am not an expert so I hope that the resources that I had bookmarked for you will guide you when you decided to have a domain that you can call your own.
Unfortunately I could not provide the answer to the questions above right now. This domain is still less than a week old as I am writing this post.
Before I forget, if you got links using my old URL, I would appreciate changing it to the one that uses this new domain. Thanks again to those who made quick changes to their blogrolls and links before I made this formal announcement. I prefer having the URL using http://www.ladyprogrammer.com (with the WWW). Thanks!
Do you have any joys and pains when you switched to a new domain?
Tagged with: Blogger • custom domains • PR
Filed under: blogs publishing
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Hey, That is pretty sweet, I changed my domain to custom recently too!
“Blogbloke does not have a great looking website”
Now that hurts
Thanks for the mention Gem.
Congratulations on your new domain. In the long run, it pays more to have a domain of your own.
@Roman
Did I? Nice to hear the change.
@Blog Bloke
I made the changes. I think I got the words out “incorrectly” but I wish to point out that yours is the best one I’ve read (and followed). I’ve learned it from several feedback that my brown themed layout is not much attractive to some visitors (now it is a mess).
@elaine
Thanks a lot! I won’t get back to my old domain again.
I have an online friend who has a blogspot blog and had purchase her own domain name. She then got problems with her paid posts like SS. SS doesn’t know about her brand new “www.—.com” SS only knows the “—.blogspot.com”
Don’t you got any problems with SS and others?
@berryblitz79
Right now I just did. I just submitted a support ticket (right now) for that. I did not have any problems with PPP and SR though, but I still have to use the old domains with them.
So I guess the conclusion is that PR, Alexa Rank, etc. need to be built all over again when you switch to a new domain.
The links you have given here are very useful. I am considering moving to a new domain, and your tips will be very useful
@Ivs
The headache of a new domain is indeed a part of the move. It is always best to do research before making the move.
Dug this post through Ate Icy’s post.. Still having trouble with hubby’s blog problem, really dunno what to do with it.. I have problem and dont have patience in reading instructions lol.. But am trying to because I was the one who suggested to hubby to have a domain. I did not have problem with mine when i purchased mine thru blogger/google. Now I don’t get it why hubby’s was redirected to godaddy and I don’t have any idea how to fix it.. which kinda sucks.. Oh well, sabi ni hubby ibalik ko na lang daw yung old url nya lol…
@chubskulit
Sorry for the late reply. I’ve been seeing the domain problem of yours with GoDaddy.
The best link that you can follow is to get through BlogBloke’s links above. His is the best instructions - it has a lot of screenshots on how to set up the domain.
I have just bought a domain name and I don’t know whether I can gain back my PR 3.At last I see a post with some optimism about moving to a custom domain name in blogger.
And yea,even though its little hard,getting a custom domain name does have its advantages,and I am happy
Computer and Net´s last blog post..Bought a domain name
Thanks! The changes are not immediate though, but I got back my PR but it took me longer than I had expected.