should I use a 301 redirect?

[MarkSherris]

Hello,

I have a website where the home page has been ranking for it's main keyword for years but now all of a sudden Google has decided to stop ranking the home page and instead rank:

www.home page.com/keyword

If I set up a 301 redirect on this page back to the home page will that tell google to start ranking the home page again?

Any help would be much appreciated

Mark

[MarkSherris]

Hey, thanks for the tip but the website is optimized very well... its a competitive keyword and the homepage was ranking for years, it's changed simply because Google likes to rank subpages now, but I need the home page back as conversions as way better on the home page

[Red Mist]

Hi Mark,

Does the sub-page now rank in exactly the same position? Where does the HP now rank for the term?

My initial thought is not to 301 that page - is the content similar? Presuming its nothing to do with a penalty, perhaps drop a link in the sub-page content to the homepage, with KW in the anchor. This will help determine which is the main page for the KW, it worked for me.

[altavista]

Hai its little bit confusing Question , I think You want your home page get ranked on the keywords on which inner pages are rankings . Moreover you can also use meta Refresh

[MarkSherris]

Originally Posted by Red Mist

Hi Mark,

Does the sub-page now rank in exactly the same position? Where does the HP now rank for the term?

My initial thought is not to 301 that page - is the content similar? Presuming its nothing to do with a penalty, perhaps drop a link in the sub-page content to the homepage, with KW in the anchor. This will help determine which is the main page for the KW, it worked for me.

Yeah that's right, the subpage is ranking same position as the home page was... but the home page doesn't rank at all for the term.

The internal linking was a bit wrong really because all the pages had a link going towards the subpage using the keyword, which is obviously 1 of the reasons why google would think it should be ranking that page, but now just wondering how to get it back.

I noticed that there's no linking back to the home page using the anchor text keyword, so perhaps that will help as you mentioned

[Red Mist]

Thats what happened to me - HP dropped out of the sky. Like I mentioned, a bit of clever internal linking seemed to bring it back, after a little bit of flux!

I take it the sub-page doesnt convert as well as the homepage!?

[MarkSherris]

EXACTLY! lol.... subpage isn't converting anywhere near as well as the home page that's why I need to get the home page back.

That's good to hear though, so you think a bit of internal linking back to the home page using the anchor should bring it back?

How long did it take for you?

Mark

[kumar125]

Hi
I think you are use keyword in the title tag and you home page not get ranking than inner pages are rankings. You can redirect 301 and change the web site domain name than get Google ranking eslly.

[MarkSherris]

Originally Posted by kumar125

Hi
I think you are use keyword in the title tag and you home page not get ranking than inner pages are rankings. You can redirect 301 and change the web site domain name than get Google ranking eslly.

Do you mean 301 redirect the subpage back to the home page?

[Red Mist]

It took a few weeks to be honest, it's a strange one though because we didnt expect the HP to plummet so far.

@kumar125 - are you suggesting a completely new domain to 301 to?

[MarkSherris]

Yeah I see what you mean, well it's worth a shot so I'll get that sorted and changed now, and lets hope it makes the difference

It's actually a client of mines website, the trouble is we are mid page for the keyword and he wants it obviously right at the top, positions 1-3.... but its a case of well I could link build to the subpage and push that up, but he doesn't want that page ranked he wants the home page, so at the moment the positions aren't going to be moving until that home page can come back!

Cheers for help help anyway

[dragoonshos]

May be an issue of keyword cannibalization - several of your pages seem to be optimized for the same keyword. May also be that you get some high quality links with your specific keyword to your inner page. For the scenario you are describing, I wouldn't do a 301 redirect. Rather, I'd build some internal links to your home page with the keyword you are trying to rank for as anchor text.

[MarkSherris]

yeah, internal links seem to be the way to go.... cheers for any responses... I won't be replying to this thread anymore so just PM me if u want me