Why has google stopped showing one domain and switching to showing another that points to the same website?

[aj613]

My client has a website here: http://www.savannahchiropractic.com/

The site ranked really well for searches for the term "savannah chiroprtactor".

Sometime last week (April 21 mobilegeddon?) the site slipped in rankings, but reappeared under the domain name: "www.whitemarshchiropractic.com"

Both URLs go to the exact same site.  and I don't even think that the whitemarshchripractic.com site is a redirect.  I'm not sure how it's setup, but it's definitely not a duplicate site.  The ranking is still lower than the savannahchiropractic.com site, but now appears.

Anyone have any insights on this?

[PatrickDelehanty]

Hi Adam

First, this is a heavy duplicate content issue - you have two sites with the same content. I would do the following (if this were my site):

• Choose a domain to focus on

• For all sites...

• Check backlinks in Majestic

• Check metrics in Open Site Explorer

• Check rankings in SEMRush and Google Webmaster Tools

• Redirect the other domain to this new domain

• Here is a URL mapping resource from Google

• Find any and all other domains you may have

• Use Copyscape

• Redirect those domains as well

• Do a backlink audit on all of the domains

• Keep and change backlinks you want

• Request removal of links you don't

• If any domain has a bad enough backlink profile, you may want to 404 the site, or 410 it

• You may need professional assistance on this so don't do that without second opinions

• Update your sitemap for the chosen domain

• Update your new sitemap XML in Google WMT and Bing WMT

• If other sites have a Google Webmaster Tools, look into into a change of address

• Correct any and all internal links to reflect this new domain

• I recommend using relative URLs

• Local search, Google+, & citations

• Conduct a Local Search audit

• Update citations - utilize Moz Local or Whitespark

• Make sure information submitted reflects chosen domain

• Update your Google+ Business pages

• Make sure all NAP information is up to date

• Make sure linked domain is correct

I would also take a look at your on-site SEO. A lot of these sites seem heavily optimized and a little spammy at points. While you are ranking now your URLs could set off spam filters, coupled with the on-site work that needs to be done, as well.

Just be mindful of your content and optimization going forward. There is a lot here, and without telling you what to do because I do not know your site at all (I would bring in a professional to help you and give you a strategy), these are areas and things I would start looking into. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Hope some of this helps - good luck!

[DirkC]

Hi,

Don't really understand your remark "it's definitely not a duplicate site" - according to me it is exactly that.

Set-up seems to be quite straightforward: both domain names point to the same server which is a classical case of duplicate content. The domains both are registered by the same company (I guess your client who probably forgot the existence of the old domain) - so all the content is available on both domains

What you should do is to choose a principal site & redirect the other domain with 301 to the main domain which should solve the issue.

rgds,

Dirk

[AlanMosley]

I agree with Patrick and dirk, you making trouble for yourself.

Decide what domain you want and 301 redirect to it. Use the logic, if not prefereddomain, then perfereddomain, rather then trying to detect evey domain.