What happens with PageRank when changing owner?

**Andreas Bard** · 07-31-2006, 03:56 PM

I am bidding on a website and domain that has a good PageRank, but if I win I will transfer it to my server and change owner of course.

How does PageRanke get effected of that?
I have heard some horror storries that the PageRank will drop to like zero. IS that true? (I read this in a webmaster forum)

Any advice and/or expericene is appreciated.

//Andreas

**Karl89.co.uk** · 07-31-2006, 04:09 PM

I don't think it will drop in rank, I've never had any experience of this happening. Could have been something to do with the new owner(s) of the site, maybe did something they shouldn't have done.

Just go for it, Google doesn't know it has changed owner, just maybe the server has changed; that surely can't effect the page rank.

**Andreas Bard** · 07-31-2006, 04:14 PM

Thanks for the comment, I hope you are right because it sounds strange and kind of ridicilous.

Any other comments?

//Andreas

**Plugin-Developer** · 07-31-2006, 04:18 PM

I don't think that PageRank will drop. Besides, even if you are changing servers, all the backlinks will still exist (hopefully) and the Google toolbar Pagerank doesn't change that often. Thus, if you continue to build or don't destroy the site in some way, I'd say you'd be ok. The PR won't change.

Just my opinion of course, but I think it makes sense.

-Nick

**domaindame** · 07-31-2006, 06:20 PM

When transferring the domain to the new server, make sure all the page names remain the same so that the PR across all the internal pages remain the same as well.

**miseria** · 07-31-2006, 06:50 PM

I've recently bought a domain with a PR of 2 and it kept its PR. Thats the second time so I'm fairly confident it doesn't make a difference

**Tran** · 08-01-2006, 01:10 AM

I think the PR will remain the same so you have nothing to worry about. Its all about back links as someone once told me

**Lpspider** · 08-01-2006, 01:40 AM

I was under the impression it wouldn't affect it much and that it'd stay the same.

**Pearse** · 08-03-2006, 11:26 AM

If you're really concerned, copy the site over to your server and 301 the old site.

**thedrooling** · 08-03-2006, 11:35 AM

It shouldn't be a problem. I heard a "horror story" about PR dropping when someone bought talkvb.com though.

**Andreas Bard** · 08-03-2006, 02:16 PM

Thanks guys, I feel a little calmer now.

//Andreas

**stefanjuhl** · 08-03-2006, 03:59 PM

It happens to some because they haven't validated the pagerank and they end up buying a website with fake pagerank. Ensure that the pagerank you see in the toolbar is actually the one of the website. Just go to google and enter the domain name and see if the site which they're showing is the site on the domain - and that the URL shown is the domain. Do it both with and without www - and other subdomains if such are used.

**ChildeRoland** · 08-03-2006, 04:21 PM

There is an ongoing debate on what exactly affects PR, but from 90% of the stuff I've read, it's determined by links, links and more links that point to the domain.

So be careful:

1. That you do not drastically change the websites <title>, <h1> and <h2> tags as these help in determing the sites relevancy as it relates to its content. Changing these could affect your actual rankings in the SERPS

and

2. That you don't change any of the internal pages file names which could also cause a loss of weight from some of the IBL's.