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Did you know one URL can look like two separate sites to a search engine.

Did you know this dilutes your Google Page Rank?

It’s a common problem that gets overlooked quite a bit.

Here’s an example:

Go to http://recruiting.com vs. http://www.recruiting.com.

(Sorry to pick on the Recruiting.com boys, by the way)

If you have a Google toolbar, you’ll notice one of the URLs has a PageRank of 5 vs. the other with a PageRank of 6.

The solution: 301 redirect.

Use a 301 redirect to ensure that search engine spiders only index either the www or non-www version of your site. Since each version is technically a different URL, to have both versions available for indexing dilutes your PageRank, as it is being split between multiple sites.

It’s a bit technical, but what you’ll need to do is update your site’s .htaccess file. The new code will look like this:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On

RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.your-site\.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.your-site.com/$1 [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

If you’re not a technical person, simply type in your URL without the www. If you’re site is OK, it’ll redirect to the www version (or non-www, depending on your preference). For example, type in hrseo.com in your browser. You’ll notice in the address window that it redirects to www.hrseo.com.

Your site should do the same. If it doesn’t, send this blog entry to your techie to fix.

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Blog sponsored by Battling Free: A Guide to Fending Off Craigslist and Google.