301 Not Allowed...Other Solutions?

[VidenMarketing]

A client's site where both the www. and non-www. versions are both being indexed.  The non-www. version have has roughly 1000 or so links where the www. version has over twice as much pointing back to the site.  In addition, the www. version has higher domain authority.

Their programmer has suggested that they can't implement 301's permanent redirects across their site for a few reasons.

My question is, what would be the best alternative to block/redirect the non-www. version from being indexed yet still pass link-juice?

[VidenMarketing]

Hey James - I am curious as to why you think a 'canonical tag' wouldn't be a "long term fix"?

[VidenMarketing]

Thanks for the responses everyone.  Everyone seems to be in agreement that a '301' is the proper course of action and should be explained that way.

I just have never run into a developer opposing the idea.  So, thanks again for the feedback!

[ReneReinholdt]

1st of all if the developer says he won't use the 301 then he's one very strange developer it's the basic of frontend development. But that being as it is, 301 is the best and most viable option but you do have a few other:

1. tell GWT your prefered domain.
2. have the devloper make a dynamic rel canonical, something like this (in php)
   ' ?>
   in the above situation he of cause would have to make a function called checkURL to test for if the url begins with http://www and returns the right formatted version. and tell GWT what domain you prefer.

But again the only right way is a 301 and it's ridiculously simple to make.

[AlanBleiweiss]

If you properly communicate why 301 Redirects are the only proper solution, and you continue to run up against a dev who makes up pie in the sky technical "reasons" why they can't, then the question is whether they respect you enough, put enough value in your view, recommendation.

Setting that aside, the canonical tag, coupled with going into Google Webmaster Tools and setting the www version as the preferred version will help, but as has been pointed out, not in anything close to resembling an ideal way.

For long term sanity, I highly recommend you explore why you're getting the resistence.  Is it because the dev feels threatened, or doesn't want to do the work?  Setting up server-wide 301 Redirects is NOT that difficult or time consuming for anyone who knows what they're doing.  So you may want to provide them links to the "how-to" for their particular server configuration.

If they are lazy, you'll need to find a way to show the decision maker(s) that failing to implement them is costing the company revenue.

[JamesNorquay]

My Advice is to make a deck/ business case for the programmer show him the problems with having two versions of the website indexed. I have encountered a few developers who are not really in tune with the whole issues around duplicate content and SEO. I think the best idea is to act on the same page, show the developer some respect, show him the design is good but then also educate him about SEO.

If you do a cononical tag, sorry to say but it is not going to be a long term fix, it will just be a short term fix.

Try and push for the 301's.

[RyanKent]

I have never encountered a developer who resisted using a redirect for the non-www URLs to the www form. If you have access to the server, the change should be able to be made.

If you decide not to use a 301,use a canonical tag to identify the correct version of the page. I would also use both Google and Bing Webmaster Tools to indicate which URL format you wish to use.