Changing your website’s domain or subdomains can feel tricky, especially when you worry about SEO penalties or duplicate content issues. Many people ask if moving from one domain to another could hurt their Google rankings or cause duplicate content problems. The good news is, if you handle the process right, you can avoid these issues entirely.
In this article, we'll explore why switching domains usually doesn’t cause duplicate content problems, what happens if your old domain had an SEO penalty, and the best ways to manage domain changes using tools like Google Search Console. These tips come from real experiences and insights shared by SEO expert Bradley Benner from Semantic Mastery.
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Why Changing Domains Usually Isn’t Duplicate Content
One common concern is that when you copy your website from an old domain to a new one, Google might see the same content on two different websites and penalize you for duplicate content. But here’s the simple truth: duplicate content only happens when the same material appears on the same domain.
When you move your content to a new domain, the old domain and the new domain are considered separate websites by Google. So, even though the content looks the same, it’s not really “duplicate content” in the SEO penalty sense. Instead, it’s like you have an original and a copy, but on different websites.
Think about press releases. Press releases are often published on many different websites but nobody calls that duplicate content. That’s because there’s always an original source, and the other sites are just sharing a copy. Google understands this and doesn't penalize sites for copies of press releases or similar content across different domains.
Here’s the key: if the original site is no longer live, meaning the old domain is taken down or doesn’t show the content anymore, then the new domain’s content stands on its own. Google won’t see it as duplicate because there’s no original version still active on the web.
What Happens When Your Old Domain Has an SEO Penalty?
Sometimes, websites get hit by Google penalties because of algorithm updates or other reasons. If your old domain has a penalty, you might wonder if moving to a new domain will pass that penalty along or if you can escape it.
Bradley Benner points out that he has moved websites from penalized domains to new domains many times. He’s also done redirects from the old penalized domain to the new one. In these cases, the penalty did not transfer to the new domain. This means that simply changing your domain and redirecting the old site does not automatically pass the penalty.
However, there is an interesting question Bradley raised: What if you use Google Search Console’s “Change of Address” tool to tell Google about the domain move when the old domain has a penalty? Nobody seems to know the answer for sure because it hasn’t been widely tested. The “Change of Address” tool is designed to help Google understand that your site has moved to a new domain, usually for clean domain changes without penalties. But it's unclear if using this tool will pass a penalty from the old domain to the new one.
This question remains open and could be a good test for SEO professionals who want to experiment. For now, if you have a penalized domain, changing domains without using the “Change of Address” tool seems to avoid passing the penalty, but more research is needed.
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How to Properly Change Domains Without SEO Problems
If you’re changing your website’s domain or subdomains, here are some simple steps to follow:
- Copy your content to the new domain: Move your website files, pages, and subdomains to the new domain exactly as they were.
- Take down the old domain: Once the new domain is live, make sure the old domain no longer shows the content. You can delete the old site or set it to return a “not found” error.
- Submit the new site for indexing: Use Google Search Console to submit your new domain and request indexing so Google starts crawling the new site.
- Use redirects if needed: If you have backlinks pointing to the old domain, set up 301 redirects to the new domain to keep link equity. But remember, redirects from penalized domains don’t pass penalties to the new domain.
- Consider the “Change of Address” tool: If your old domain is clean (no penalties), use this Google Search Console feature to help Google understand the move. If your old domain has penalties, use caution and test carefully.
Following these steps helps Google treat your new domain as a fresh site without confusing it for duplicate content or penalizing it unfairly.
Why Duplicate Content is Mostly a Same-Domain Problem
Duplicate content issues arise when the same content appears on multiple URLs within the same domain. For example, if you have your homepage accessible at both example.com and www.example.com without proper canonicalization, Google might see this as duplicate content.
But when the same content is on different domains, it’s not treated as duplicate content with penalties. Google understands that content can be syndicated, shared, or moved across domains without causing harm.
This is why you don’t have to worry about copying content from an old domain to a new one, as long as the old domain is taken down and the new domain is the only live source.
Press Releases: A Helpful Example
Press releases are a great example to understand duplicate content across domains. When a company issues a press release, it is published on their own site first (the original). Then, many news websites and distribution services publish copies of that release.
Google doesn’t penalize these copies because it knows the original source and recognizes the copies as legitimate syndications. The original publication is often cited in the copies, and Google uses this to identify the primary source.
This example shows that having the same content on different domains is not a problem if managed correctly. It’s only when the same content appears multiple times on the same domain that duplicate content issues arise.
What to Do If You Use WordPress and Need to Copy Subdomains
Many website owners use WordPress and might have subdomains set up, such as blog.example.com or shop.example.com. If you change your root domain, you might want to copy these subdomains to new subdomains on your new domain.
This is perfectly fine and does not cause duplicate content problems. Just make sure to:
- Copy the content exactly as it was on the old subdomains to the new ones.
- Delete or take down the old subdomains once the new ones are live.
- Submit the new subdomains to Google Search Console for indexing.
By doing this, you keep your site structure intact and help Google understand your new domain setup without confusion.
FAQs About Changing Domains and SEO Penalties
Will Google penalize me for duplicate content when I move to a new domain?
No. Google does not treat content on different domains as duplicate content in a way that causes penalties. Duplicate content penalties mainly happen when the same content appears multiple times on the same domain.
Does an SEO penalty on my old domain transfer to the new domain if I change it?
Generally, no. Changing domains and even redirecting from a penalized domain to a new domain does not pass the penalty along. However, using Google Search Console’s “Change of Address” tool with a penalized domain is untested and could behave differently.
Should I use Google Search Console’s “Change of Address” tool when moving domains?
If your old domain is clean and has no penalties, yes. It helps Google understand the move. But if your old domain has penalties, it’s better to be cautious and test before using this tool.
Do I need to set up redirects from the old domain to the new one?
If you have backlinks pointing to your old domain, setting up 301 redirects to the new domain helps keep your link equity. If there are no backlinks, redirects are not necessary.
Can I copy my WordPress subdomains to new ones on a new domain?
Yes. Copying subdomains to new subdomains on a new domain is fine and doesn’t cause duplicate content problems as long as the old ones are taken down once the new ones are live.
Final Thoughts
Changing your website’s domain or subdomains can be done safely without worrying about duplicate content penalties, even if your old domain had an SEO penalty. The main rule to remember is that duplicate content penalties only apply when the same content exists on the same domain.
When moving to a new domain, make sure to take down the old site, copy your content carefully, and submit the new site for indexing. Use redirects if you have backlinks, and consider using Google Search Console’s “Change of Address” tool if your old domain is clean.
By following these simple steps, you can avoid SEO penalties and keep your site’s performance strong during a domain change.