Restructuring my highest earning site

I'd like to run this past some of you guys before going ahead with this plan!

One of my wordpress sites I've had since january is generating $700-$800 a month through adsense and affiliate sales.

Without giving away too much info, I KNOW I can achieve more in affiliate sales if I change my content over to a new wordpress plugin to handle listings better...

Problem is, if I'm to do this the sites page URLs and structure will change... roughly 100-150 pages.

How would you go about the move?

a) just add the item listings in the new system and have 150 extra pages with duplicate content?
b) add the items and 301 redirect 150 pages to their new location?
c) drip feed adding the new items and run both systems side by side slowly until all items are migrated. 301 every item to its new location?

I'm certain option C is the best way to go and in THEORY I shouldn't loose any rankings (site is ranked extremely well).


I'm slightly nervous with this idea as its "make or break" on my main money site, any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Problem is, if I'm to do this the sites URL and structure will change... roughly 100-150 pages.

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Steve Jobs would say "there is an app for that !" Wordpress CEO would also say "there is a plugin for that"

Dean Permalink Migration !!

This plugin allow you to keep old URL structure and make a new one.

I used it once and i didn't loose in ranking at first and it even improved it

Basically, if a visitor bookmarked an old structure it will redirect straight to the new one.

GL

thanks for the reply, i'll certainly look into that plugin.

"If it ain't broke, Don't fix it" I would make another site just like it and play with that one. If you are making that much a month from a site I wouldn't touch it if it were me.

I have one site that is number one on Google, Bing and Yahoo with about 3 million competing sites and I haven't touched it for many months. It makes about $400 a month just with adsense.

I have about 70 WP sites and the ones that are doing well I leave alone. I experiment with the other ones that aren't doing very good. Just my thoughts.

tjs54 said:

"If it ain't broke, Don't fix it" I would make another site just like it and play with that one. If you are making that much a month from a site I wouldn't touch it if it were me.

Click to expand...

I get that, but problem is if google were to look at my site now... it looks horrible and i wouldn't be surprised if they banned my adsense from it.

i've also setup and been running 4 other sites doing the same thing using this particular wordpress plugin and seen much better traffic and sales than i did with my main site in the early days.

maybe i'll wait a couple months until my other sites reach the same level, then play around with restructuring the site.

if you dare in taking risk, then go with the redirection plugin. as you're saying that its your main income, I suggest you to not to touch change anything. If you want to go ahead further, take risk !