[Web4lib] multiple host header values and google analytics

[Thomas Dowling]

Another example of why not to change domain names.

IMO, you don't want to keep the old names working (that is, returning
status 200), in no small part because of the problem you're running into
here.  You need a good RedirectMatch Permanent header to get all of your
users--and their bookmark managers, and search engine crawlers--to stop
going to "http://oldname.org/foo/bar/baz.html" and get them over to
"http://newname.org/foo/bar/baz.html".  You did keep the rest of your
URLs the same, didn't you?


Thomas Dowling
tdowling at ohiolink.edu


On 4/17/2007 4:34 PM, tedbazemore at yahoo.com wrote:

> Our web site has a bit of an identity crisis. Because so many pages that link to us use an old domain name, we use multiple host header values that resolve to the same ip address. I've asked people to change their links, but you sure can't make them. So I've just dealt with it
> 
> However, last week after setting up a Google Analytics account I realized this is an issue. After adding the tracking code, I suddenly realized that the old address (which has a much higher page rank) was not being tracked... 
> 
> I see this page that explains how to install GA on multiple domains - http://www.google.com/support/analytics/bin/answer.py?answer=45481but if I read their directions properly, they are assuming that the pages are actually different. They are not. 
> 
> Has anyone else tackled this problem?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ted