Is it safe to redirect multiple URLs to a single URL?

[AndreVanKets]

Hi,

I have an old Wordress website with about 300-400 original pages of content on it. All relating to my company's industry: travel in Africa. It's a legitimate site with travel stories, photos, advice etc. Nothing spammy about. No adverts on it. No affiliates.

The site hasn't been updated for a couple of years and we no longer have a need for it. Many of the stories on it are quite out of date.

The site has built up a modest Mozrank value over the last 5 years, and has a few hundreds organically achieved inbound links.

Recently I set up a swanky new branded website on ExpressionEngine on a new domain.

My intention is to:

1. Shut down the old site
2. Focus all attention on building up content on the new website
3. Ask the people linking to the old site to my new site instead (I wonder how many will actually do so...)
4. Where possible, setup a 301 redirect from pages on the old site to their closest match on the new site
5. Setup a 301 redirect from the old site's home page to new site's homepage

Sounds good, right?

But there is one issue I need some advice on...

The old site has about 100 pages that do not have a good match on the new site. These pages are outdated or inferior quality, so it doesn't really make sense to rewrite them and put them on the new site.

I call these my "black sheep pages".

So... for these "black sheep pages" should I (A) redirect the urls to the new site's homepage (B) redirect the urls the old site's home page (which in turn, redirects to the new site's homepage, or (C) not redirect the urls, and let them die a lonely 404 death?

OPTION A:

oldsite.com/page1.php -> newsite.com
oldsite.com/page2.php -> newsite.com
oldsite.com/page3.php -> newsite.com
oldsite.com/page4.php -> newsite.com
oldsite.com/page5.php -> newsite.com
oldsite.com -> newsite.com

OPTION B:

oldsite.com/page1.php -> oldsite.com
oldsite.com/page2.php -> oldsite.com
oldsite.com/page3.php -> oldsite.com
oldsite.com/page4.php -> oldsite.com
oldsite.com/page5.php -> oldsite.com
oldsite.com -> newsite.com

OPTION

oldsite.com/page1.php : do not redirect, let page 404 and disappear forever
oldsite.com/page2.php : do not redirect, let page 404 and disappear forever
oldsite.com/page3.php : do not redirect, let page 404 and disappear forever
oldsite.com/page4.php : do not redirect, let page 404 and disappear forever
oldsite.com/page5.php : do not redirect, let page 404 and disappear forever
oldsite.com -> newsite.com

My intuition tells me that Option A would pass the most "link juice" to my new site, but I am concerned that it could also be seen by Google as a spammy redirect technique.

What would you do?

Help

[Vivamedia]

Hi Andre!

I would suggest option A. If you cant find a corresponding url on the new site, then you should redirect it to the new start page. Then you will take care of the visitors that might find the old pages and send them to your new site + get the most of the old subpage PR.

Recommendations from Google:

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=83105

Good luck!

[AlanMosley]

A or C, but not B

You shouyld not daisy chane 301's. I think going will find it but leaks juice each hop, bing says only 1 hop

http://perthseocompany.com.au/seo/reports/violation/the-page-contains-unnecessary-redirects

If you new site has litle relevance to the old pages, you might choose C, i dont know what the pages are worth, so you need to make the chose of juice V's maintainence

[Vivamedia]

If he choose option C he will loose the traffic as well, visitors will just come to a dead end.

If you put the visitor in the front seat, I would suggest redirecting the old subpage to a corresponding page on the new site, and if you dont have any as he mention, I would suggest option A.

[AlanMosley]

I agree, if the old pages are worth it. If not just 404 them.

[AndreVanKets]

Thanks chaps for your great responses. I will probably go for a combination of option A and option C. If I can justify redirecting to the home page or another page on the new site I will. Otherwise I'll let the page die a 404 death (rather than daisy-chain redirecting it).