Shoshana

Guys & Gals,
I am currently updating my php / mysql driven site, to mod-rewrite the
dynamic URLs to feux static ones.

I would like google to index the new URLs, whilst obviously underneath
still using the old ones.

I have written some mod-rewrites for the new URLs which work fine. So I
guess my question is, will that be enough to get google to index the
new pages, if my site now refers to the new URLs, or will google
continue to index the old URLs as these are still valid, and only being
covered up by mod-rewrites ??

I have tested one page, which has taken 3 - 4 months to index and PR
the new url, and now also the cache of the old version of the page
points to the new url. Is this likely to get penalised as there is now
a duplicate, or as google has pointed the old page to the new, will it
be ok, and google will eventually drop the old cache ???

All thoughts welcome.

Shoshana

Certainly with my test page, that would seem to agree with that theory.
As said, the cache of the non re-written page now points to the new one
anyway. So as long as there's no duplication penalty, it looks like I
can go ahead and implement the new look site with the new URLs ( even
though most will point to existing pages ), and hopefully in 3 - 4
months time, google will sort all the PR bits and pieces out.

diggin4it

I'm not an expert on this, but read some really interesting stuff talking about this on Matt Cutts blog were I seem to recall he covered this very topic http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/

If you don't know he's one of the senior guys at Google, in fact so senior I can't see an "About" page on his blog - he might be a tad arrogant - or maybe I missed it.

Good Luck with the change - they're always a bit nerve racking :-)

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