301 Redirects not showing when viewing headers

[Automile]

I added a 301 Redirect in htaccess so that anyone coming to my site with the "www." in the URL would be redirected to "http: //mydomain" instead. Yet when I use a header sniffer and enter the "www." in the URL, it's coming back with a code of 200 OK. What gives?

Andy

[Connie]

MY first question would be which header sniffer are you using? I use web bug but if you accept the default setting (no way to permanently change) web bug will deliver a 200 response.

Next question. How are you doing the 301. What your trying to do has to be done using a mod rewrite. It can't be set up in the same way as a 301 from /page.htm http://domain.page.htm is set up.

The default server setting at Jag and I think most host is domain.com.

Most users on the Internet are used to seeing a www.domain.com. If someone links to you naturally they will probably use www.domain.com. I agree from the standpoint of SEO you need to redirect one to the other but I would suggest you use the www.domain.com and redirect domain.com to the www.domain.com. Yes domain.com is a little shorter but I would recommend you go with the flow.

My last question is why are you wanting to do something that is a little (not a lot) different than most searchers are used to seeing?

[Automile]

Connie,

Here's the code I'm using to do the redirect:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.mydomain\.com$ [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://mydomain.com/$1 [R=301,L]

I'm doing this because my site is listed in the SEs with both the www. and without. Apparently, Google thinks it's 2 separate sites, because they have different page ranks, and my domain without the www. has a lot more backlinks showing.

So, I'm trying to consolidate everything to redirect to my domain without the www. , since Google has more pages listed that way, and that's the way my html editor creates links.

In order for this to work, however, it is imperative that the header shows a 301 permanent redirect when someone goes to my site with the www. , and it's not doing that. I've tried 2 different header sniffers online, and they are both showing 200 OK when I type in a URL with the www.

Frustrating...I don't know if it's me, or the server, or what...

Andy

[Connie]

Your wright they do. I redirect everything to the www.domain using this and it does return a 301.

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^domain\.com
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.domain.com/$1 [R=permanent,L]

Possibly this would work to direct to domain.com. I don't know for sure.
Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www.domain\.com
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://condells.com/$1 [R=permanent,L]

or this
Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www/.domain\.com
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://domain.com/$1 [R=permanent,L]

[Automile]

I used another header checker today, and it was returning a 301 redirect, so I guess the ones I tried yesterday weren't working properly. Now, if Google will just be cooperative...

Thanks for the assistance!

Andy

[Connie]

Andy,

why don't you downloadWeb Bug
for header checking. It is a great free tool. The problem with on line checkers is there not all up to date. If you decide to try webbug you will need to change the HTTP default setting from 1 to 1.1.

[Ron]

I used another header checker today, and it was returning a 301 redirect, so I guess the ones I tried yesterday weren't working properly. Now, if Google will just be cooperative...

Thanks for the assistance!

Andy

Andy,

I don't know that you're going to accomplish what you want by use of the redirection.

If you're trying to increase your GoogleJuice, redirecting the bot from your less-linked-to URL to your more-linked-to URL won't do anything, IMHO.

You need to get the backlinks themselves changed from the less to the more desirable URL.

The only way a redirect might work, again only IMHO, is if you were to redirect to a completely different page, which would then link to your more desirable URL. But I wouldn't put much stock in that, either.

You need to get the www-prefixed backlinks changed.

That said, if they aren't showing up as backlinks, or if the URL is lower ranked than the other as you say, then the backlinks that you're concerned about are probably immaterial to your Google PageRank anyway.

Since Google PageRank is thought to be on a logrithmic scale, a link from a PR2 to a site with a PR3 or PR4 is virtually worthless. Only sites with rank equal to or exceeding your have any realistic hope of increasing your PageRank.

All IMHO which is, according to most, a PR0. 1 at most.