What is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is when a user or search engine request one URL but is redirected to a completely different URL. 301 redirects are permanent redirections of the original URL location. The 301 HTTP response status code also ensures every URL linked to the original URL is redirected to the new URL.
Why Use a 301 Redirect?
When a website owner creates a new web page and wants visitors to see that page rather than their original webpage, a 301 redirect is created. This will ensure anyone who types in the old web page URL is sent to the new URL automatically. If a 301 redirect is not created, then the user will only see the old web page or an error page if the old web page was removed.
When a company changes their name or is taken over by another company, a 301 redirect is the best option for ensuring no customers are lost during the transition. In some instances, a company may purchase all variations of their brand name, including misspelled variations, and add them to their 301 redirects. This prevents any user error as well. All customers should land on the website they are searching for.
Difference Between 301 Redirects and All Other Redirects
A 301 URL redirection does not damage or interfere with, search engine optimization (SEO) since all inbound links will redirect to the new URL location. Search engine spiders will crawl the old URL and notice the new URL and provide a search engine ranking position accordingly. Temporary redirects do not move the inbound links resulting in a loss of search traffic and losing search engine ranking positions.
However, when a website is strictly under maintenance, or being improved, and the URL will remain the same, a 301 temporary redirect is sufficient. This temporary redirect allows customers access to the important information they still need or the content from your website.
301 Redirect Mistakes to Avoid
When attempting to redirect traffic to your new website, it is vital to prevent any mistakes which may harm your website’s SEO.
HTTP://, HTTPS://, WWW
Even though your URL domain looks the same after HTTP:// as it does after WWW., they are still two completely different domain names. Each of these variations should be included into the 301 redirect to prevent an error page and loss in website traffic.
Setup 301 Redirect Before Migrating Website Domains
If you move your website from one URL to another without a 301 redirect in place first, search engines will think it is a new domain and will crawl it as such.
Do Not Use 301 Temporary Redirects
Unless it is necessary, such as repairing or redesigning your website, do not use a temporary redirect. Doing so will ensure a loss in search engine rankings and broken inbound links.
Do Not Forget the Old Internal Links
It is easy to overlook web pages that are not consistently used, maybe contains older, but still pertinent information. However, if you do not add these links to your 301 redirect, search engine spiders and site visitors will notice, and your ranks will suffer in the process.
Redirecting your site does not need to be complicated. By following a proven process and ensuring you are avoiding the above mistakes your site will not suffer from a bad user experience.
Whether you are working with in-house web designers or a web design firm, it is in your best interest to ensure your web designers plan and execute permanent 301 redirects before releasing the site. It would be a good idea to review the redirection plan to make sure old pages are redirected to their closest matching or corresponding new pages. Typically implementing permanent redirects happen before the web project is complete.
Professional Web Design Services from Flying Cow Design
Flying Cow Design has a track record of over 20 years of professional web design. What differentiates us from most web design companies is that our focus is not only on web design but on building a strong online presence for our clients. Understanding the changing search engine guidelines and being proficient in SEO has helped us build a strong web presence for many of our clients through a combination of our web design and internet marketing services. To see how we can help you create a strong web presence, write to us today!
CEO, Flying Cow Design
Attended University of Auckland
Lives in San Francisco Bay Area
