A 301 redirect is common practice for changing the location of an Internet webpage from one URL to another URL.
Using a 301 redirect means that you will move the web page’s content without needing a search engine to update the URL reference.
If you’re changing your website name or purchasing your own domain, this is a fantastic skill to learn.
Contents
- What Is a 301 Redirect?
- How Does a 301 Redirect Work?
- Different Types of Redirects
- Example of a 301 Redirect
- Do 301 Redirects Affect SEO?
- Process of 301 Redirecting a URL to Another
- How to 301 Redirect One URL to Another
- 301 Redirect Best Practices
- 301 Redirect Tools to Save Time and Money
- Other Related SEO Terms to Know
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping Up
What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 Redirect is a permanent redirect that tells a search engine and visitors to the old page where to go.
A 301 redirect is the default, reversed version of a 301 moved permanently and helps to avoid confusion.
It means that when a site owner performs a 301 redirection, they perform two different actions simultaneously.
How Does a 301 Redirect Work?
A 301 redirect takes web traffic to a page that’s no longer available and redirects the link to the new URL of that site.
You can use a 301 redirect after moving or changing site names if you want search engine optimization credit from the old name.
These links tell search engines where the new location of the page is.
What Is the Purpose of a 301 Redirect?
The 301 redirect is a web development technique that transfers a web page’s URL without changing the content.
The 301 redirect usually helps users find their way to the new page after the owner of the site has moved to a different page or renamed the site.
Different Types of Redirects
There are a few different types of internet redirects.
301 Redirects
A 301 site redirect means that you permanently change your website or blog address.
The change happens if you move to a new domain or update an old domain with a new name.
When a website changes its address, you can use 301 redirects to inform search engines and visitors about the site’s new location.
302 Redirects
A 302 redirect is an HTTP redirection that tells the browser to load the page from a different URL.
The HTTP status code specifies the new location, followed by a colon, then the number of seconds to wait before following this instruction.
A webpage full of 302 redirects typically has a temporary placeholder page.
What is the Difference Between a 301 Redirect and a 302 Redirect?
The distinction between a 301 and 302 redirect is that a 302 redirect is temporary and a 301 redirect is permanent.
A 302 redirect will be automatically removed from the server or passed to a webmaster when the content no longer exists on that specific URL.
301 redirects permanently change the old URLs of your website’s users.
307 Redirects
A 307 redirect is a way for the user to follow someone from one blog to a different one.
You can make a redirect when someone wants to post on another blog without leaving their original account.
You can do this with HTML code or by using the redirect command in the new WordPress SEO platform.
Example of a 301 Redirect
Sites use 301 redirects all the time, especially sites of new businesses that are still trying to figure their brand out.
This helps them to retain their current customers and audience.
Do 301 Redirects Affect SEO?
These redirects are crucial for SEO because they help push past websites that have gone down.
It can be difficult to redo a website through multiple removals, but it guarantees better site ranking.
A 301 redirect does not affect SEO, for instance, SEO for WordPress sites.
Also, Google does not penalize this type of server change.
Why Is a 301 Redirect Important for SEO?
A 301 redirect can tell a search engine that an old URL has changed.
It means that any pages found on the original URL will no longer have indexed by the search engine, meaning it’s safe to remove from your website now.
A 301 redirect is important for SEO because it tells the search engine of an update not included in the search results.
As such, it helps you understand how to improve SEO.
Is a 301 Redirect Necessary?
A 301 redirect is not necessary for almost any website migration.
The only time to use this type of redirect is if the old URL will live on as a new page at the same URL.
The content hierarchy will exist as before, but with different content or structure.
You could also need it if your old site had migrated to another domain name while retaining original URLs.
How Long Does It Take for a 301 Redirect to Work?
A 301 redirect can take 3-5 days to be fully effective on the web.
Once you redirect a website with a 301, other websites will find the new page.
They will then associate that page with whatever content was on the old URL.
Process of 301 Redirecting a URL to Another
The process of redirecting a URL using a 301 redirect involves a few changes to the files on your site.
- Upload a 301 Moved Permanently file. This will tell search engines and browsers that the location of the website has changed
- Ensure you are an administrator of the website
- Go to settings and select permalinks
- Select the appropriate type and save it by clicking on metadata redirecting the link.
The process is not instantaneous.
It may take anywhere between 30 seconds to 5 minutes for the 301 redirect to become active.
You can use redirects if one page is going to temporarily replace another page’s content.
You also want to ensure that you’re redirecting the user to the right page, not sending them to an innocent page.
You also want to avoid keeping them from reaching their destination page.
How to 301 Redirect One URL to Another
The general process for using a 301 Redirect would be to add some text that says “go to” or “see.”
The text should also include how long you want people to be able to access the particular homepage.
You can then direct them from the browser to your new homepage with all your content.
Redirecting one URL to another involves the following steps:
- Step 1: Log in to your website’s control panel.
- Step 2: Proceed to the redirects tab to access the redirect function.
- Step 3: Choose which type of URL you want to redirect.
- Step 4: Choose where you want the redirected URL to go.
- Step 5: Enter the old URL in the left box, then enter your desired Redirect URL in the correct box.
Once you’ve completed these steps, all you have to do is wait for the link to activate.
It’s a very simple process.
301 Redirect Best Practices
There are some things you should consider when deciding whether or not to use a 301 redirect.
Many changes you make to your website may not need a 301 redirect.
This is especially true if the changes are temporary.
1. Permanent Redirects
One of the best practices is redirecting a page’s target URL to a permanent redirect with another URL.
301 redirects are very important. they help websites maintain their SEO rankings.
They also ensure that the site is still functional when search engines are crawling it.
It will help improve SEO and redirect customers to a page with the same content.
2. New URLs
You can use 301 Redirects to tell search engines that the old or current URL does not exist anymore.
It will instead redirect them to an applicable new URL.
You should use 301 redirects when you must move or customize the content at the target URL.
Otherwise, use 302 redirects whenever possible.
3. Redirect Links to a Different Site
You can also redirect all inbound links to pages on an individual website.
If your links need crawling by search engines, you can remove those links from the website.
This helps a website maintain its high ranking across search engine results.
It also prevents people from finding its content on external links.
If a search engine returns a page other than the original site, it may rank lower in the search engine rankings.
Making sure that your links are to the correct website is critical.
301 Redirect Tools to Save Time and Money
SEO is an essential part of any site.
When moving a site to a new location, the tool must redirect all the traffic and links to this new address.
You can use different types of redirects depending on the destination URL.
What is a 301 Redirect Tool?
A 301 redirect is a mechanism to permanently redirect a URL or set of URLs to control how you receive another URL.
They commonly transfer old URLs from one page/site/domain to another.
You can also use them if your web admin changes the site’s domain name or redirects you.
These tools for SEO will help with any issue related to moving content around your website.
The best part is that you won’t have to spend time with complicated database queries or plugins.
Our Favorite 301 Redirect Tools
If you’re looking for an easy way to use a 301 redirect with your site, here are a few of our favorite 301 redirect tools.
1. Rank Math
The Rank Math 301 Redirect Tool has a rich Interface and is very easy to use.
It takes care of all of the technical aspects by providing an easy way to create the redirect on your webpage.
The Rank Math plugin assumes businesses will focus on decisions that increase revenue.
They aim to drive higher customer value.
2. Link Whisper
Link Whisper allows web admins to remove pages or entire sections of their website.
The key is that the 301 redirect doesn’t allow for negative rankings.
It takes the webpage from its old URL straight to the new one.
For instance, web admins may want to remove an outdated blog post.
They do not want the page penalized for lack of content, however, so they would first use a 301 redirect.
3. URL Shorteners
If you’re a new investor looking to save money on web hosting, a URL shortener is a perfect tool.
The best URL shorteners are not just different from traditional web URLs.
They tend to be much shorter and should always contain less than 19 characters.
URL shorteners can make them easier to remember.
This can help when it comes time to post links on social media or send out emails with links.
Other Related SEO Terms to Know
- Link Building: Link building increases your website’s visibility. It can also boost search engine rankings by acquiring links. This can starts with a blog post or an article you share on social media. Your goal is to acquire links from other websites.
- Hyperlink: A hyperlink is a tool web designers use. They make your browser follow the link to another web page.
- Anchor Text: Anchor text sits in front of your URL and is seen by people searching for your website. You can write the anchor text within the URL or it can be on a separate line below the URL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions that website owners often have about 301 redirects.
How long does a 301 redirect last?
The specific amount of time it can take for a 301 permanent redirect will vary depending on the website.
It’s important to note that some websites take longer.
Do 301 redirects slow down a website?
Redirects only slow down a website if visitors don’t know the redirect exists.
If visitors are aware of the redirect or can see it in their browser, there may be no reduction in speed.
Wrapping Up
301 redirects are crucial in maintaining a robust online presence.
They are the most common type of redirect.
They are also the only ones that will convince search engines to give your site credit for all its hard work.
Redirects ensure your website will appear as relevant and authoritative as possible.
You can implement 301s whenever a URL structure changes or you need to change servers.
