Learning how to properly use 301 redirects for SEO can make it so your website maintains keyword rankings and organic traffic even as you make changes to your content or site architecture.
The reality is, our websites are constantly changing. Good and attentive webmasters will add new and updated content over time to make sure they are providing the highest quality content and page experience to users.
As a result, redirects become necessary to make sure users and search engine crawlers can find your content. But improper use of redirects can result in lost keyword rankings, lost link equity, and a poor user experience for your website visitors.
When implemented with SEO best practices, 301 redirects shouldnāt undermine your SEO efforts, but ensure that your search visibility is maintained. Hereās a guide to 301 redirects and how to implement them correctly.
āļø Types of Redirects
āļø Types of Redirects
Here are all of the redirects that you might want to know about, particularly if they are mentioned in your dashboardās site auditor report.
301 = āMoved Permanentlyā ā best for SEO
302 = āMoved Temporarilyā ā often used during website redesigns
Meta Refresh = page-level redirect that is not recommended for SEO
As a general rule, if a page is important and you want it to rank, then you should use a 301 redirect if the page is ever moved.
š What is a 301 Redirect?
š What is a 301 Redirect?
301 redirects are used to tell browsers and search engines that a web page has been permanently moved to a new location.
Example:
āhttps://website.com/why-anchor-text-diversity-is-good-for-your-backlink-profile ā
āhttps://website.com/anchor-text-diversity
301 redirects ensure that users and search engines are always directed to the most current and relevant content. A 301 redirect tells the search engine that the page has been moved, and the old page can be safely removed from the index while the new page should be indexed instead.
š Why Do 301 Redirects Matter for SEO?
š Why Do 301 Redirects Matter for SEO?
There are a few ways that 301 redirects can impact your web pagesā SEO performance:
Ensure your most up-to-date versions of your web pages are what are indexed and shown to searchers
Protect site visibility during and after site migrations
Maintain the majority of the link equity the original page has earned through backlinks
š ļø Common Redirect Issues
š ļø Common Redirect Issues
Broken Redirects
Broken redirects point to 404 or dead pages. Avoid sending users or crawlers to dead pages.
Fix options:
Reinstate the dead page so the redirect is no longer broken
If keeping the page dead, remove every internal link pointing to it
Redirect Chains & Redirect Loops
Redirect Chains & Redirect Loops
Redirect chains occur when multiple redirects point from one URL to another.
Redirect loops happen when redirects point back and forth endlessly.
Best practices:
Never take more than one redirect to reach a destination page
For chains: Replace with a single redirect
For loops: Fix the final destination URL
Redirecting to HTTP instead of HTTPS
Redirecting to HTTP instead of HTTPS
Always redirect HTTP pages to HTTPS. HTTPS is a confirmed ranking factor and provides a safer browsing experience.
Internal Links with Redirects
Internal Links with Redirects
Internal links that redirect slow down your site and reduce link equity. Update internal links to point directly to the destination URL after a page is updated or deleted.
Redirects in XML Sitemaps
Redirects in XML Sitemaps
There should be no redirected URLs in your XML sitemap. Update your sitemap to include only current destination URLs.
Other Redirect Errors
Other Redirect Errors
Redirect URLs should be lowercase.
All protocol variants (HTTP, HTTPS) should redirect to the same destination URL.
āļø How to Setup a 301 Redirect
āļø How to Setup a 301 Redirect
To add a redirect manually, you will need to edit your .htaccess file (for Apache servers).
Log in to your websiteās hosting account.
Find the file that contains your websiteās code (typically in public_html, www, htdocs, or httpdocs).
Look for the redirect code.
Copy the old pageās URL and replace it in the code.
Copy the new pageās URL and replace it in the code.
Save the file and upload it to your websiteās server.
Test the redirect by visiting the old pageās URL ā it should now redirect to the new one.
ā Conclusion
If you have a large website and you havenāt been thinking about redirects until recently, there may be quite a bit of technical work you need to do to get your site on track.
If you are unable to resolve the redirect issues identified in your Site Audit report on your own, reach out to our technical SEO team.