Why companies end up with several domains
Extra domains usually have a practical reason. A shop owner in Tashkent prints the web address on a signboard and delivery bags, and customers mistype it from memory. After a rebrand, the old name lives on in directories, Telegram chats and other people's articles. A radio spot needs an address that is easy to catch by ear.
- keeping a competitor from registering your brand name
- common typos in the address
- a domain from a previous brand that still receives links
- a short address for outdoor and radio advertising
- a second domain zone for customers abroad
What goes wrong without a redirect
The most common mistake is parking a second domain on the same hosting account. The same website then opens at two addresses and returns a 200 response on both. To a search engine these are two identical sites. It picks one on its own, links and visitor signals get split, and the address that appears in results may not be the one you consider primary.
Copying the site to a new domain and promoting both versions is no better. Search engines will either merge them as they see fit or alternate between the two.
How to set up a 301 redirect for a domain
The right setup is simple: one working website, and a permanent 301 redirect from every other address. There are several ways to build it, each with its own pitfalls.
- on the main site's hosting: add the domain and write a rule in .htaccess or the nginx config
- at the registrar: convenient, but check the response code, as some services send a 302
- through Cloudflare or a similar proxy: a redirect rule applied at the service level
- on a small separate server, when you own many domains tied to different projects
Frame forwarding is not a redirect
Some registrars offer a forwarding option that keeps the extra domain in the address bar while loading your main site inside a frame. That is not a redirect. Search engines never see a move, and visitors do not notice they are on another address. It does nothing for SEO, so after setup always check that the address in the browser actually changes.
Homepage or matching paths
If the domain never held a website, such as a typo variant, sending every request to the homepage of the main site is enough. If the old domain had real pages, keep the path: the services page on the old domain should lead to the same services page on the new one. External links to inner pages then keep working and keep passing value. When the site structure has changed, build a table that maps old pages to new ones.
For an old domain with history, add it to Google Search Console and Yandex Webmaster and use their change-of-address and site-move tools. Domains with no history do not need this step.
SSL, www and HTTP: test every variant
People may type your address with https. If the extra domain has no certificate, the browser shows a security warning before the redirect can happen. Issue a certificate for every additional domain, including the www version. Free certificates with automatic renewal are enough for this.
Then open each domain in four forms: with and without www, over http and over https. All of them should reach the main site in a single hop with a 301, not through a chain of several redirects.
Campaign domains and renewals
A short domain bought for a billboard works better when it points to the campaign landing page with UTM tags in the destination URL, not to the homepage. Your analytics then show how many visitors came from outdoor advertising. When the campaign ends, switch the redirect to a permanent service page.
Watch registration dates as well. A domain you stop paying for can be bought by anyone, and the traffic from old links and from the address on your signboard goes with it. Turn on auto-renewal and keep a list of all company domains with their expiry dates. Recheck redirects after changing hosting or renewing a domain, because settings sometimes reset.
If you have collected several domains and are unsure how they affect your visibility, the markdev team can audit them and configure redirects as part of SEO optimisation in Uzbekistan. Tell us about your task and we will suggest where to start.
FAQ
Which redirect code should I use for an extra domain?
A permanent 301. A 302 signals a temporary move, so search engines may keep treating the extra address as a separate site.
Does a domain that only redirects still need an SSL certificate?
Yes. If someone types the address with https and there is no certificate, the browser shows a warning before the redirect can run.
Can I send all old pages to the homepage?
Only if the domain never had pages of its own. For a former website, keep the paths or use a mapping table.
What should I do with a domain I no longer need?
If links still point to it or it is printed on materials, keep renewing it and keep the redirect. Otherwise a stranger could buy the address.
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