301 Redirect: What it is and why it matters for SEO
Imagine you’ve moved to a new house. You want your friends to find you, so you leave a note at your old place with your new address. In the world of websites, a 301 redirect is just like that note. It tells search engines and visitors, "Hey, this page has moved! Here's the new address."
Why should you care about 301 redirects?
When you change a page’s URL, you don’t want to lose all the traffic and SEO power that the old URL had. A 301 redirect ensures that all the good stuff, like search engine rankings and visitors, gets transferred to the new URL.
When to use a 301 redirect
- Changing your website’s structure: Maybe you’ve reorganized your site and moved some pages around. Use a 301 redirect so people and search engines can still find them.
- Moving to a new domain: If you’re switching your entire website to a new domain, 301 redirects help make sure all your old pages point to the new ones.
- Link from a trusted domain: When you purchase a trusted domain with traffic, a 301 redirect will transfer the domain rating and web traffic to your main domain.
- Fixing broken links: Sometimes, links break. A 301 redirect can help by sending users to the right place.
The SEO benefits
301 redirects keep the SEO power (link juice) flowing. This means your new URL can inherit the search rankings of your old URL.
A few things to watch out for
- Too many redirects: If you have too many redirects in a row (like one redirect leading to another), it can slow down your site. Try to keep it simple.
- Redirect loops: Be careful not to create a loop where one URL redirects to another, which then redirects back to the first one. This can confuse search engines and your visitors.
301 redirects are a handy tool to keep your website running smoothly and to maintain your SEO rankings. Whether you’re reorganizing your site, moving to a new domain, or just fixing some broken links, 301 redirects help make sure you don’t lose any visitors or search engine love in the process.