• About
    • History of Dallas SEO
    • SEO Expert Witness Service
  • Contact
  • Topics
    • Bing
    • Blogging
    • Branding
    • Domain Names
    • Google
    • Internet Marketing
    • Link Building
    • Local Search
    • Marketing
    • Public Relations
    • Reputation Management
    • Search Engine Marketing
    • Search Engine Optimization
    • Search Engines
    • Social Media
    • Tech
  • Advertise
  • Email Newsletter

Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer on Search, Marketing, Tech, and Domains.

traffic analysis tools

Home » Google » Google’s Change of Address Tool is Broken

Google’s Change of Address Tool is Broken

Posted By Bill Hartzer on December 16, 2015at 1:52 pm

Google’s Change of Address tool, accessed by website owners in the Google Search Console, is broken. It generally works for most website owners as it should. However, in my professional opinion it’s broken because it’s missing certain functionality that should be included. This missing functionality causes certain websites to not be able to use the tool. Therefore, in certain circumstances, Google’s Change of Address tool doesn’t work. It’s completely useless in it’s present state.

The Google Change of Address tool is very helpful for 99 percent of website owners. If you’re changing your web address from http to https, from www.domain.com to domain.com, or even from domain.com to domain2.com, the tool is very helpful. Set up the proper 301 Permanent Redirects, verify all the versions of your site’s web address, and then use the Change of Address tool to tell Google you’ve moved. No big deal, right?

I’ve used Google’s Change of Address tool plenty of times, and I can honestly tell you that I’m considered one of SEO’s premier experts on site migrations (from one URL to another). In fact, I’ve even used to migrate this website from HTTP to HTTPs with no real problems. I’ve helped plenty of businesses moved from a .COM domain to a New gTLD domain name with no issues.

But here’s how Google’s Change of Address tool is broken. There are several web CMS (Content Management Systems) whose URL structures are inherently broken and not set up properly. One example of this is MediaWiki. All of the sites built in MediaWiki have 301 redirects from what I call the “real home page” (http://domain.com) to an internal page like http://domain.com/whatever. That’s just the way MediaWiki is set up.

If you have a website that absolutely must redirect (with a 301 redirect) the site’s home page to an internal page on the site, the Google Change of Address tool does not work. So, when your try to use the Google Change of Address tool, even though the 301 redrirects ARE set up, the tool fails every time.

I suspect that this failure is due the fact that the domain’s home page doesn’t redirect directly to the new domain’s home page. For example, here is an example of how I recently used the Google Change of Address tool and when it failed:

1. Set up 301 Permanent Redirect from http://www.domain.com to http://domain.wiki/page (this is a MediaWiki site).

2. Verified http://www.domain.com and http://domain.wiki in Google Search Console.

3. When you attempt to set the Change of Address from http://www.domain.com to http://domain.wiki the Change of Address fails.

Here’s a screen shot showing the fact that Google’s Change of Address will only work on a home-page to home-page Change of Address. It apparently doesn’t matter that the Change of Address is going to an interior page on the new domain, even though the new domain is verified with Google Search Console.

google change of address tool

While in 99 percent of cases the Change of Address tool works just fine, there are some cases, like with MediaWiki websites, that must redirect their home pages to an interior page. That’s just how the CMS works, and is really no fault of the site owner.

Filed Under: Google, Search Engines

traffic analysis tools

Listen to "Digital Marketing with Bill Hartzer" on Spreaker.

About Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer is CEO of Hartzer Consulting, LLC, an SEO Consulting firm that includes services such as search engine optimization, technical SEO audits, domain name consulting, and online reputation management.

Recent Posts

  • RightoftheDot Live Online Domain Auction February 25 February 18, 2021
  • Jabez LeBret on Digital PR, Journalism, and Media Coverage February 5, 2021
  • Someone Stole My Domain Name: Here’s What You Do February 1, 2021
  • 23 Top Level Domains TLDs Up for Auction January 27, 2021
  • GotConn Privacy Search Engine Launches January 26, 2021
  • Andrew Muller on Testing Google Ads Using Facebook Ads January 15, 2021
  • Mike Rhodes from Web Savvy On Google Ads January 8, 2021
  • How to Opt Out of Google Analytics December 16, 2020
  • Majestic Just Changed SEO and Linking Forever December 15, 2020
  • Yext Consumer Search Trend Predictions for 2020 December 8, 2020
  • SearchBox Launches SearchAI SmartSuggest, SearchAI Answers and SearchAI Personalization December 7, 2020
  • Google Poly is Shutting Down December 2, 2020
  • Domain Name Brokers Put FFF.com and HHH.com Domains Up for Sale December 1, 2020
  • Google Webmaster Tools Moves Twitter Account November 11, 2020
  • Email Deliverability, Setting Up DMARC, DKIM, and SPF on Your Domain October 29, 2020
  • The Bing Search Engine is Now Microsoft Bing October 6, 2020
  • Beck Power on Building Authority on Social Media and Repurposing Content October 2, 2020
  • Naira Perez on Paid Media, and an Intro to Social Paid Media, and Audiences September 17, 2020
  • Fake Birth Date Used on Google and Apple Accounts Is on Credit Report August 17, 2020
  • What is Bill Hartzer Disease? July 20, 2020

DFWSEM logo

Bill Hartzer is a Brand Ambassador for:



Industry Friends

WTFSEO
SEO By the Sea
Jeff Lenney
Jeff Gabriel
Phil Drinkwater
Dixon Jones

Connect With Bill Hartzer

Bill Hartzer on Twitter
Bill Hartzer on Instagram
Hartzer Consulting on Facebook
Bill Hartzer on Facebook
Bill Hartzer on YouTube

Categories

  • Advertising (19)
  • Bing Search Engine (6)
  • Blogging (42)
  • Branding (12)
  • Domain Names (200)
  • Google (228)
  • Internet Marketing (24)
  • Internet Usage (84)
  • Link Building (52)
  • Local Search (38)
  • Marketing (179)
  • Marketing Foo (30)
  • Pay Per Click (1)
  • Podcast (9)
  • Public Relations (8)
  • Reputation Management (9)
  • Search Engine Marketing (44)
  • Search Engine Marketing Events (47)
  • Search Engine Marketing Firms (19)
  • Search Engine Marketing Jobs (33)
  • Search Engine Optimization (156)
  • Search Engines (203)
  • Social Media (187)
  • Tech (7)
  • Web Analytics (16)




Note: All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only, and are mentioned only to help my readers. All other trademarks cited herein are the property of their respective owners. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.




Hartzer Consulting



Website, Content, and Marketing by Hartzer Consulting, LLC.

Copyright © 2021 by Bill Hartzer and Hartzer Consulting, LLC.

Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
Go to mobile version