DNS setup affecting page rank?

CaptainJSparrow · 2003-11-05, 11:34 AM

I'm seeing the www version and the non-www version having different page ranks on lots of my sites.

I've asked our new host about this and they said:

Normally, when we setup a site in DNS we set the domainname.com as an A record to the IP address. Then we setup www.domainname.com as a CNAME pointing to domainname.com. So, on the DNS server it would appear like
this:

Method A:
domainname.com A 12.345.678.90
www.domainname.com CNAME domainname.com

This essentially means that to a client (from a DNS standpoint),
domainname.com and www.domainname.com are the same site. However, this is how you currently have it setup (btw our tech did this):

Method B:
domainname.com A 12.345.678.90
www.domainname.com A 12.345.678.90

This could confuse google if they are using DNS alias information to determine if a www is an alias or a different site.

My question, which method is the correct way, which is better, or are they both the same.

I am concerned that with 1 of the above methods that googlebot may think that 1 site is actually 2 different sites and penalize either, or both, for having duplicate content.

Let's call the way that our new host recommends the sites be set up, Method A

and the way that our tech set them up Method B.

Does anyone know for sure which method is best?

Bill · 2003-11-05, 03:10 PM

I've read some discussions about this, and they all tended to boil down to "nobdy knows for sure, more testing needed".

However, it's been generally agreed that a preponderance of links to domain.com will give domain.com a higher PR than www.domain.com.

The general rule, as I learned it, is to pick a version of the name you want to rank, and try to use a consistent version of the link pointing to that name version.

So it would be typical for domain.com to rank higher than www.domain.com if most of the links pointing to the domain were in the form domain.com.

CaptainJSparrow · 2003-11-05, 03:26 PM

Yeah, that's what I've always heard as well. The question is, with google trying to tweak their algo, could they see this site as 2 sites and penalize one, or both, for duplicate content. Seeing different page ranks would lead one to assume that google see's them as 2 totally different sites. If this is the case, then logic dictates that google could notice that these "2" sites have exactly the same everything on them.

That being said, I'm wondering if there are any "DNS" specialists that come to this board and know for sure whether Method A or Method B would stop google from thinking that I'm trying to pull one over on them with duplicate content, which obviously I'm not trying to do.

2003-11-05, 11:34 AM	#1
CaptainJSparrow You can now put whatever you want in this space :) Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Louisiana Posts: 511	DNS setup affecting page rank? I'm seeing the www version and the non-www version having different page ranks on lots of my sites. I've asked our new host about this and they said: Normally, when we setup a site in DNS we set the domainname.com as an A record to the IP address. Then we setup www.domainname.com as a CNAME pointing to domainname.com. So, on the DNS server it would appear like this: Method A: domainname.com A 12.345.678.90 www.domainname.com CNAME domainname.com This essentially means that to a client (from a DNS standpoint), domainname.com and www.domainname.com are the same site. However, this is how you currently have it setup (btw our tech did this): Method B: domainname.com A 12.345.678.90 www.domainname.com A 12.345.678.90 This could confuse google if they are using DNS alias information to determine if a www is an alias or a different site. My question, which method is the correct way, which is better, or are they both the same. I am concerned that with 1 of the above methods that googlebot may think that 1 site is actually 2 different sites and penalize either, or both, for having duplicate content. Let's call the way that our new host recommends the sites be set up, Method A and the way that our tech set them up Method B. Does anyone know for sure which method is best?

2003-11-05, 03:10 PM	#2
Bill Selling porn allows me to stay in a constant state of Bliss - ain't that a trip! Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 3,914	I've read some discussions about this, and they all tended to boil down to "nobdy knows for sure, more testing needed". However, it's been generally agreed that a preponderance of links to domain.com will give domain.com a higher PR than www.domain.com. The general rule, as I learned it, is to pick a version of the name you want to rank, and try to use a consistent version of the link pointing to that name version. So it would be typical for domain.com to rank higher than www.domain.com if most of the links pointing to the domain were in the form domain.com.

2003-11-05, 03:26 PM	#3
CaptainJSparrow You can now put whatever you want in this space :) Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Louisiana Posts: 511	Yeah, that's what I've always heard as well. The question is, with google trying to tweak their algo, could they see this site as 2 sites and penalize one, or both, for duplicate content. Seeing different page ranks would lead one to assume that google see's them as 2 totally different sites. If this is the case, then logic dictates that google could notice that these "2" sites have exactly the same everything on them. That being said, I'm wondering if there are any "DNS" specialists that come to this board and know for sure whether Method A or Method B would stop google from thinking that I'm trying to pull one over on them with duplicate content, which obviously I'm not trying to do.