Question

If I register a domain abc.com, but point via a redirect to another domain’s subfolder like def.com/abc, what’s the effect on SEO? Will Google index both abc.com and def.com/abc and display them for keyword “abc”?

Is there any way to avoid this or pomote abc.com so it displays more prominently than def.com/abc?

What’s the best practice in this scenario?

Thanks for the help.

Answer 1

I’ll refer to Google’s official SEO guide. Here’s a link to the full guide.

Provide one version of a URL to
reach a document

To prevent users from linking to one version of a URL and others linking to a different version (this
could split the reputation of that content between the URLs), focus on using and referring to one URL
in the structure and internal linking of your pages. If you do find that people are accessing the same
content through multiple URLs, setting up a 301 redirect from non-preferred URLs to the dominant
URL is a good solution for this. You may also use canonical URL or use the rel=”canonical” link element
if you cannot redirect.

Since Google relies on links to your pages, you’re going to have an issue if people link to one URL versus another. So in short, yes, that will probably have an effect on your optimization.

Edit: Google’s algorithm may be smart enough to know your redirect and follow it when indexing your pages. Probably your best outcome will be to not do the redirect and instead point the domain at your content. The second best will be to use the HTTP 301 status code.