Google will sometimes reset the domain's score to a fresh start after a domain sale - but not when the website continues doing business in the same market. If you want to be cautious, I'd say avoid any site-wide redesigns for a bit.

This is not a sale... I am simply putting some of the domains under my partners name for liability and business purposes...

Not a single penny is going to change hands, but Name, Address, etc will...

I will still be working on the domain and business will be as usual.

This is not a sale... I am simply putting some of the domains under my partners name for liability and business purposes...

Not a single penny is going to change hands, but Name, Address, etc will...

I will still be working on the domain and business will be as usual.

How would google know if you have just changed the address and name and not sold the name? What tedster means is that google would assume that domain has been sold to some one else and you are not the owner any more.

Tedster what about .co.uk or .eu domains? such domains don't really have a whois detail like .com or .net etc, so what usually happens when you change details of the domain whos public whois details are either restricted or have minimum details such as .eu. Also tell if usage of public free name server or private nameserver have any effect on how google perceive your site?

I've been involved in lots of domains that changed whois information - and some were ccTLDs. I've never seen a "reset" except when the site itself is also changed. One common reason for a reset is a whois change PLUS the domain being changed to a 301 redirect.

The idea Google tries to execute is just what I said above - if the BUSINESS stays the same, then the domain is not reset. And they are quite conservative in applying the reset, too.

Ok, sound fair! So basically as long as everything doesn't change at one time.

Thanks,

g

I agree with changing the whois and domain and even site content at the same time will reset the domain. Also add the factor of IP change into the equation would bomb your site and you would be back to ground zero.

However, what about over a certain period. Assuming site content does not change, the whois domain onership is changed and a couple of months later, domain changes or visa versa.

I've been involved in that kind of situation and there was no problem. One factor that might have helped was that the WebmasterTools log-in and verification did not change.

I went from PR6 to PR3 when I altered the ownership of my site. It could be coincidence, or a drop in IBL PR, who knows. But it didn't affect the SERPS. :)