How to tell Google a page has moved?

Question

We have #1 and #2 spots we would like to keep, but because of the way things were jumbled we have to migrate to a new domain.

We do not want the new domain to be penalized for duplicate content, we want it to naturally take the spot on Google.

How do we tell Google our page has moved?

Answer 1

301 redirects are the recommended way to do this according to Google themselves. I tend to perform 301's using a .htaccess file (a few different methods here) but it can also be done using PHP like this:

header('Location: '.$newlocation, true, 301)

Answer 2

What seengee user has answered is perfect.
Have a look to Google Webmaster Tools too; there's a specific option for Address change.

Change of address

If you're planning to move your site to a new domain, use the Change of Address tool to tell Google about your new URL. This will help us update our index faster and smooth the transition for your users.

For best results, follow these steps:

1. Set up the new site

   Review our guidelines for moving your site to a new domain. Set up your content on your new domain, then make sure all internal links point to the new domain.

2. Redirect all traffic from the old site

   Use a 301 redirect to permanently redirect the pages on your old site to your new site. This tells users and search engines that your site has permanently moved. Ask webmasters to update their links to point to your new domain and make sure incoming links to your old site are redirected correctly using the 301 redirects.

3. Add your new site to Webmaster Tools

   Make sure you have added and verified your new domain.

4. Tell us the URL of your new domain

Answer 3

Try this: https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools add both domains there and then, go Change of address.