[TshirtGuru]

"However, when using this HTML redirect code, please ensure that you don't use it to trick the Search Engines, as this could get your web site banned. It is always best to work hard and learn quality ways in which to drive traffic to your web site."

I found this quote when I was searching on how to redirect viewers from one website to another. Example: ABCheatpress.com to XYZheatpress.com.

Is this considered "tricking" the search engines? I don't want my websites to be banned, but the quote I found doesn't explain what tricking the search engine is.

 

[jkruse]

I don't think that's what the quote means

 

[lindsayanng]

Redirects are generally not GREAT for search engines.. The reason being that search engines usually go about 3 layers deep into your website, which means that when they type in the intital domain (www.mydomain.com) and then are redirected to (www.myotherdomain.com) they are already at their second layer of your site.

HOWEVER, this is not all bad because they site will ALSO index your site just from www.myotherdomain.com which is where all the files are anyways, and here they WILL go three levels deep in your site.

What they were speaking of with being penalized for re-directs is with spammers.. MANY companies will have about 10,000 domains that ALL point back to one single site. This is considered spam by places like google and they will penalize you for that..

People purchase loads of domain names to try to 'own' the market for that domain.. So a place that sells hamburgers will have

hamburger.com
hmaburger.com
hambrger.com
hotdog.com
htdog.com
etc.. etc..

When a company takes over all of these domains and re-directs them to one site, it pisses off the search engines and they deduct point from your page rank.

HOWEVER with just a few domains that redirect, you will not be penalized