Php redirect and seo

Question

I have a client that uses Google Base with their eCommerce store. They want to redirect all of their specific product links (i.e. white-large-shirt.htm, red-medium-shirt.htm) to the configurable url (i.e. shirt.htm).

This is so the customer when clicking on the white-large-shirt link in Google Base can be redirected to the page where they can select from other colors and sizes as well. Not just the one option product page.

I can do this easily in one of the php controller files but I am wondering what the ramifications are for SEO or 'Black-Hat' redirecting.

Thanks.

EDIT

Here is the code snippet I used on the product controller class.

//Show configurable products only
        if($product->type_id == "simple"){
            $parentId = $product->loadParentProductIds()->getData('parent_product_ids');
            if(isset($parentId[0]))
            {
                $product = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->load($parentId[0]);
            }
        } 

Answer 1

An SEO compliant redirect (i.e. 301 http code) will mean to Google that those page has to be merge.

So as long as you merge links too there is no problem.

But if you let those references to white-large, red-medium everywhere it will definitely look like spamdexing / Doorway pages.

Answer 2

You really need to setup a 301 redirect. This tells search engines that the old page has moved permanently. Then take Google for example will update their search engine to point all their links to the new URL.

For example if I had old.html and I renamed it to new.html I setup a 301 redirect so if anyone does go to old.html it sends them to new.html and all tells the browser that old really still exist it is just now called new.html

You mentioned changing it in a php file which makes me think you are just changing the structure I would ask you if someone went to old.html on your site would they still get to new.html?

One of the easiest ways to do this on a Linux server is to use a .htaccess file.

Example .htaccess file: Redirect 301 old.html new.html

You can also change complete structures using mod rewrite doing some research can help you create some fancy rules to redirect entire structures based off of variables. If you need an overall view of how the redirect process http://www.bigoakinc.com/seo-articles/301-direct-Google.php explains it pretty well.