A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. It’s commonly used to inform search engines that a web page has moved to a new location.
A 301 redirect denotes a lasting rerouting of one URL to another, serving to preserve both search engine rankings and user accessibility in instances where a webpage’s URL undergoes a change. This directive communicates to search engines and web browsers that the initial URL has been permanently substituted with a new one.
301 vs 302 Redirect
When comparing a 301 redirect to a 302 redirect, the primary difference is their temporal nature, a 301 is utilized for permanent redirection, whereas a 302 is employed for temporary redirection.
The 301 redirect is the most frequently used type, leading visitors to the new URL while conveying to search engines that the redirection is of a permanent nature. In contrast, a 302 redirect also steers visitors to the new URL but designates the redirection as temporary for search engines.
How Do 301 Redirects Influence and Improve SEO Performance?
The strategic use of 301 redirects offers substantial benefits to your SEO approach, overcoming barriers that limit your website’s organic visibility. Furthermore, employing 301 redirection for SEO serves as a strategic avenue for leveraging available opportunities to drive growth.
Utilize 301 Redirects to Improve Your SEO Outcomes in the Following Ways.
1. Merge or Restructure Pages with Scattered Content.
In every website, there are pages that underperform in terms of traffic and backlinks. Leveraging 301 redirects emerges as a productive approach to bolster SEO performance, specifically through content pruning. This strategy involves consolidating pages with limited content to construct informative pieces providing in-depth coverage of a particular topic.
Many Google algorithms, notably Panda, stress the importance of emphasizing quality in content rather than quantity. Therefore, a strategic method to uphold quality involves SEO pruning, wherein pages that fall short of expectations are either edited or removed to reinforce the overall strength of a website. Striving for content that is concise yet impactful is deemed as the preferred approach.
2. Shifting the Blog From a Subdomain to a Subfolder.
One effective strategy for rapid SEO improvement involves employing 301 redirects, particularly by migrating your blog from a subdomain to a subfolder. The algorithm identifies your site as an authority and expert in a specific field when you provide comprehensive content. In many cases, a significant portion of your site’s backlinks is a result of the valuable content you offer.
When seeking to enhance your website’s SEO performance through impactful links, it’s counterproductive to direct them to a subdomain. It is crucial to position your blog within the site’s root, unless technical limitations intervene. Prioritize the migration of your company’s blog from a subdomain to a subfolder.
3. Mitigating Issues Linked to Keyword Cannibalization.
The common understanding among SEO experts is that keyword cannibalization occurs when two or more pages target the same keyword, preventing effective ranking for any of them. However, the crux of the problem lies in shared intent. When multiple pages share identical intent, you inadvertently engage in self-competition, leading to the challenge of cannibalization.
The use of 301 redirects becomes essential for addressing problems and alleviating concerns associated with keyword cannibalization, especially when the existence of all competing pages is unnecessary.
When is the Use of a 301 Redirect Recommended?
Different redirect categories, such as 301, 302, meta refresh, etc., have specific use cases associated with them.
Understand when and why to opt for a 301 permanent redirect as opposed to other types.
Moving a page to a different URL permanently.
For instance, moving from https://www.website.com/old-page-name/ to https://www.website.com/new-page-name/.
There are times when you have to alter the URL of a page on your site.
Whether a product name experiences a minor adjustment, prompting a URL update, or if the goal is to improve the organization of your site’s pages, the motivations for these changes are limitless.
Implementing a 301 redirect is a means of directing users and search engines to the new URL, enabling the seamless transfer of SEO influence from the original URL to its updated counterpart.
1. Deleting a Specific Webpage.
In the event that you wish to delete a page on your site for any reason, consider redirecting it to another relevant page if possible.
Want to know why?
This enhances the overall user experience and provides individuals with an alternative option.
Take, for example, the situation where the page is deleted; users who click on a link to the page in search or from another webpage will find themselves on a page similar to this.
If there’s no alternative provided, the user is more likely to bounce from the page.
Your optimal choice, in the majority of cases, is to implement a 301 redirect, guiding the user to a similar page with the same intent on your website.
2. Relocating Your Site to a Different Domain.
For a practical example related to the previous point, envision the process of migrating your site from “oldwebsite.com” to the new domain “newwebsite.com.”
You could consider moving your entire site to a completely new domain.
Suppose you’re in the process of migrating from a .net to a .com domain, or in the case of a rebranding effort, you need to transition to a different domain name.
The optimal approach for this purpose is employing a 301 redirect, along with notifying Google by utilizing the Change of Address tool within Google Search Console.
3. Modifying the Structure of Your Website.
Changing your site structure from old-category post to new-category post.
Opt for 301 redirects if you intend to restructure your site, making it easier to organize content and helping Google better comprehend the relationships between your pages.
The same rule applies to adjustments in the subfolder structure of your site.
Be it blog categories, ecommerce categories, or other folders, opting for a permanent redirect is the optimal way to execute the change.
4. Changing your URL from non-www to www.
The main objective is to mitigate duplication problems, where the options are https://website.com and https://www.website.com.
If you identify that your website can be reachable via both non-www and www URLs, it is imperative to establish 301 redirects to your favored URL. Since there are no SEO merits linked to either URL structure, you can opt for the one that suits your preference for your website.
5. Recreating Content
In various cases, businesses might decide to entirely revamp their previous content, possibly on a new page, due to multiple reasons. During such transitions, it is imperative to set up a 301 redirect that directs users from the old content to the new one. While some may forget the step of unpublishing the old site, it is compulsory to archive it, ensuring users can easily locate the new content page.
In most cases, when implementing 301 redirects, it is recommended to formulate a flexible rule. If this isn’t possible, employ a specific tool for the same purpose, and consider leveraging Google Sheets or Excel, especially to create a basic roadmap for your redirects.
6. Migrating From an HTTP to an HTTPS Protocol.
The indexing process of search engines is significantly influenced by the HTTP and HTTPS protocols. With a multitude of websites adopting the secure HTTPS protocol, there are still instances of adherence to the HTTP protocol. Hence, when undertaking the shift from HTTP to HTTPS, the utilization of 301 redirects becomes imperative. These redirects serve a crucial role in ensuring that search engines effectively index your protocol change, preventing the occurrence of the “404 – Not Found” code and smoothly redirecting users to the new page.
7. Addressing ‘Trailing Slash’ Problems.
As an example, the shift occurs from https://www.website.com/page-name to https://www.website.com/page-name/.
Pages with and without a trailing slash in the URL are genuinely different, and this distinction is recognized by Google.
Maintain consistency in how your site deals with trailing slashes in page URLs, and the recommended practice is to employ a 301 redirect from one format to the other.
