Optimizing A Homepage URL That Is Only Accessible To Logged In Users

[94501]

I have a client who has a very old site with lots and lots of links to it. The site offers www.examplesite.com/loggedin as the homepage to logged in users. So, once you're logged in, you can't get back to examplesite.com anymore (unless you log out) and are instead given /loggedin as your new personalized homepage.

The problem is that many users over time who linked to the site linked to the site they saw after they signed up and were logged in.... www.examplesite.com/loggedin. So, there's all these inbound links going to a page that is inaccessible to non-logged-in users. Thus linking to nowheresville.

One idea is to fire off a 301 to non-logged in users, forwarding them to the homepage. Thus capturing much of that stranded link juice. Honestly, I'm not 100% sure you can fire off a server code conditioned on if they are logged in or not. I imagine you can, but don't know that for a technical fact.

Another idea is to offer some content on /loggedin that is right now mostly currently blank, except for an offer to sign in.

Which do you think is better and why?

Thanks... Mike

[seoman10]

If it was me I would position the login block at the top of every page, rather than having a specific login page.  That also means you can personalise with the users name.

Then 301 your old login page back to the homepage that should transfer almost all of the authority from any links.

[94501]

Hi,

The issue is not where is the login. The login is on the top of every page.

The issue is what to do with this /loggedin page that only has content for logged in users. The choices seem to be add content to it or 301 to the homepage for non-logged in users, if that is even possible/advisable.

Best... Mike

[katemorris]

Hey Mike

Have you considered using a canonical to the unlogged-in homepage?

www.domain.com - canonical is to www.domain.com

www.domain.com/loggedin - canonical is to www.domain.com

As long as the page can be loaded and the canonical in the head seen by bots, that link equity should go to the homepage.