Looking for a few hours of consult from an on-page/redirection SEO guru.

[TheCraig]

Hi!  I could post our question here, but I think we will need an hour or so of questions and answers.  Anyone consider themselves an on-page guru or redirection strategy guru?

Here is the breakdown:

1.  We sell digital media.

2.  Most of the pages that return for us in the serps are indexed Search Results pages.  From the research we have done, these are our highest trafficked results, but also our lowest converters.  We have hundreds of thousands of indexed and dynamic Search Result pages we need to deal with.

3.  We are concerned about Panda eventually giving us issues with these indexed Search Pages.

4.  We would like to 301 re-direct these indexed Search Results pages to applicable product pages.

5.  Looking for advice on a strategy to do so which would include the best way to locate the pages we need to 301 in the SERPS, being careful that the 301 will help and not harm us, etc.

Note, we are just looking for a couple of hours of discussion and guidance.  We don't need a massive SEO analysis or anything.  Just looking for input and guidance on this one particular issue.

If you just want to answer here for free, hey, we won't complain, but are happy to pay for quality advice.  PM if interested.

Thanks!

Craig

[LynnPatchett]

Hi,

Well I will throw a couple of comments in the hat!

I have the same issue on a couple of ecom sites I monitor, internal search results are showing in the serps for various terms, and am pondering what to do about this because as you say, it doesnt seem very sustainable long term and you never know when the axe might drop.

My concern with what you suggest re redirects is two pronged:

1. If you are getting decent traffic and/or conversions from these terms currently, then you run the risk of losing these for who knows how long if the redirects for whatever reason don't sit well with google.

2. If you are redirecting what amounts to internal search queries would that not mean you would have to re engineer the search system/urls to some degree? That doesn't seem a undertaking to be taken lightly!

My thoughts might be to try a parallel approach in terms of letting the search results stay in the serps and at the same time working to boost the relevant product pages you were planning to redirect to.

If you can get those pages ranking for the same terms then if/when google decides your search results don't belong in the serps then you will have a ready made replacement to a degree. You could also try linking to the relevant pages at the top of the search results page instead of redirecting. This might help push the product pages higher and perhaps more importantly could help with your immediate problem of many visits but few conversions on these pages. That being said, wouldn't the search results page be linking to these product pages anyway?

My two cents!

[Christy-Correll]

Hi Craig - Have you checked out Moz's List of Recommended Companies?

[TheCraig]

Hi Christy,

Thanks for responding!  Actually I did check out that list, but no one really jumped out at me as having specific expertise related to this area + available for just a bit of hourly consulting so we can do the work in house versus a big time contract or a few weeks of analysis, etc. etc.

I'll take another look though.

Thanks!

Craig