Change the course of the river. What you should know about 301 redirect?

What is Redirect 301?

Redirect 301 is a server-side redirect that tells a search engine that a page has been permanently moved to a new location. This is the most common type of redirect and is used when you want to change the URL of a page on your website.

Redirecting a page preserves its search engine rankings, which means that your new page will inherit the rankings of the old page. It also transfers any link equity, or link juice, that the old page has to the new page.

When to use a redirect?

You should use a redirect when you want to change the URL of a page on your website. This is usually done when you want to update the content on the page, or when the page has been moved to a new location. You can also choose to redirect an old domain name to a new domain name. Redirects are also used when there is an error with the original link, such as 404 errors (page not found).

Types

The main goal of using a redirect is to ensure that any links to the previous address still point towards the updated destination. A 301 redirect is permanent and will tell search engines that all future requests should be directed to the new address instead. A 302 status code on a site means that it’s just temporary – so it will only work while someone visits that particular page.

When not to use a redirect?

While a redirect can be helpful in many situations, there are a few times when you should avoid using one. If you’re trying to rank for a specific keyword, using a redirect will likely hurt your chances. Additionally, if you have a page with a lot of backlinks, you don’t want to lose that link equity by redirecting the page. Finally, if you’re moving from one domain to another, it’s generally best to do a fresh start rather than try to carry over any existing SEO value.

How to implement it?

The first step is to identify which pages on your site you want to redirect. This could be because they are no longer relevant, or because you have updated the content and want to send users to the new page. Once you have a list of pages, you can then set up your redirects.

There are a few different ways to do this, but the most common is to add a line of code to your .htaccess file. You will need access to the root directory of your website in order to make changes there, so if you don’t know how to do that already it might be worth getting some help from an expert. Your .htaccess file should now include two lines of code: one that redirects old URLs to new ones, and one at the top to tell search engines about these changes. When adding this line to your .htaccess file, it’s important not to include any other information – just copy and paste the following code. Make sure you replace REDIRECT with whatever word you chose for your redirect (e.g., RENAME).

That’s all there is to it! Now when visitors click on old links, they’ll be taken straight through to the right page instead of landing on 404 errors.

How to create a permanent Redirect 301?

A Redirect 301 is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. Creating a Redirect 301 is a great way to ensure that your website’s visitors are always directed to the most up-to-date content on your site. Here’s how to create a redirect:

• Choose the page you want to redirect and copy the URL.
• Create a new page on your site and paste in the URL you copied in Step 1.
• Edit the page so it reads something like this: This page has been moved to your new page title.
• On the original URL, replace all instances of http://www with https:// (the s at the end of https stands for secure). Then append /oldpage/ after it (this tells Google what old address will be redirected).
• Make sure everything matches up before submitting. You should see a message saying your changes have been applied.

Five things to do after implementing it

1. Check your server headers to make sure the redirect is working properly.
2. Update your sitemap and resubmit it to Google.
3. Update any links on your website that point to the old URL.
4. Monitor your website’s traffic and search engine rankings to see if there is any impact.
5. Make sure to keep the redirect in place for as long as you want the search engine benefits.

Common mistakes and issues with using redirects

One common mistake is not setting up a redirect at all. This can result in lost traffic and decreased search engine rankings.

Another issue is setting up too many redirects, which can slow down your website. Additionally, using the wrong type of redirect can also hurt your website. For example, if you use a 302 redirect instead of a 301 redirect, search engines will not update their records to reflect the new location of your content, which can lead to decreased traffic.

Best practices for redirecting traffic on website

• When you’re changing URLs on your website, make sure to set up a redirect so that traffic is automatically redirected to the new URL.
• Avoid making unnecessary changes as this can cause more trouble than it’s worth with not only old links but also Google Analytics data and stats tracking.
• Be mindful of when it’s time to update old links- this usually happens when a domain has been sold or when content is moved from one page to another page.
• Once you have set up a redirect and confirmed that it works correctly, create an HTML version of the old URL which will show visitors what they would be visiting if they followed the link.
• Create clear title tags and meta descriptions for every page with the original URL.

Tools for managing your own redirects

There are a few different tools you can use to help manage your redirects and ensure that they’re properly set up. Screaming Frog is a great tool for crawling your website and identifying any issues with your redirects. Google Search Console is also a valuable tool, as it can help you identify any 404 errors on your website. Finally, Redirection Plugin is a WordPress plugin that can help you manage your redirects directly from your WordPress dashboard.

Keep track of your data with Google Analytics!

Link building is one of the most important, if not the most important ranking factors. That’s because links are like votes – the more high-quality links your site has, the more popular it is, and the higher it will rank in search engine results pages.

Google Analytics is a powerful tool that can help you track your website’s data. By tracking your website’s data, you can see which areas are performing well and which areas need improvement. Plus, you can use Google Analytics to track your link building progress and see which links are bringing in the most traffic.

Redirecting a URL is one of the most effective ways to ensure that your website visitors are able to find the content they’re looking for. Not only does it help improve your website’s navigation, but it also has the added bonus of helping improve your SEO. When done correctly, link building with redirects can be an extremely powerful tool in your arsenal.