Redirection, also known as redirect, is a technical process where a visitor attempting to access a specific URL is automatically sent to another URL. Redirections are an important part of web development and SEO, as they help ensure that users and search engines land on the right pages, even when content is moved or changed. There are several types of redirects, each with different uses, and it is crucial to choose the right type of redirect to avoid negative SEO effects.
What is a redirect?
A redirect is a technical setup that ensures that a URL that a user or a search engine crawler (or other crawlers) is trying to access points to a different page. This can happen if a page has been moved, deleted, or if you want to send traffic to an updated version of a page. However, it is always recommended to correct the URL, as this can affect your crawl budget.
Common redirect scenarios:
- A page has been permanently moved to a new URL.
- The content on a page has been deleted, but there is a relevant replacement (or front page)
- Changing the domain name or restructuring the URL structure of a website.
- You want to remove duplicate pages with the same content and gather traffic in one place.
Types of redirects
There are several types of redirects, each with their own specific purpose and function. The choice of redirect type depends on whether the change is permanent or temporary, and how you want search engines to handle the redirect.
301 redirect
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that tells both search engines and users that a page has been moved to a new address and that the old URL is no longer relevant and will not be recreated in the first place.
Benefits of 301 redirect:
- SEO benefit: Most of the SEO value (link value or “link juice”) is transferred from the old URL to the new one. This means that if the old URL had strong links, those values will also benefit the new page that is redirected to.
- User friendliness: Users will be automatically redirected to the new page without getting a 404 (page not found) error message. This will increase the user friendliness among your visitors. You can read more about CRO here.
301 redirects are used when you permanently remove or move content, such as when changing domain names or when you restructure your URL structure.
In most cases, you should use this type of redirect.
302 redirect
A 302 redirect is used when the redirect is only temporary and you plan to reinstate the original URL at a later date. This type of redirect tells search engines that the old page is still relevant and they should not update their indexing to the new URL permanently.
Benefits of 302 redirect:
- Preserves the original page in search results: Since it is a temporary solution, the original URL remains indexed, which means search engines do not transfer the SEO value to the new URL.
- Flexibility: It’s a good solution if, for example, you have a temporary campaign page or are doing maintenance on an existing page.
307 Redirect
A 307 redirect is the HTTP 1.1 version of a temporary redirect. It is used when you want to ensure that search engines and browsers understand that the redirect is temporary, but that the method of the request (such as GET or POST) is not changed. Like a 302, a 307 redirect does not pass any SEO value.
This redirection is used very rarely.
Meta Refresh
A meta refresh redirect is a method that is performed at the page level instead of the server level. This redirect typically occurs after a few seconds and is often displayed with a message like “If you are not redirected, click here”. It is rarely used as it is less SEO friendly and does not pass on value from links in the same way as a 301.
JavaScript
JavaScript redirects are performed using JavaScript code that redirects the user to another page. This type of redirect is also less SEO-friendly, as search engines will not always follow JavaScript code correctly, which can lead to indexing issues. It is generally recommended to avoid JavaScript redirects unless there is a specific reason for it due to your site setup or CMS system.
How are redirects implemented?
Redirects can be implemented in several ways depending on the platform you use to manage your website and CMS system.
Through the .htaccess file (Apache servers)
If your website is running on an Apache server, you can add redirects using the .htaccess file. This is an efficient and straightforward method that gives you full control over how your URLs are handled.
Example of a 301 redirect in .htaccess:
Redirect 301 /gammel-side.html https://ditdomæne.dk/ny-side.html
Use of CMS tools (WordPress, Joomla, etc.)
Many CMS platforms like WordPress have plugins that make it easy to implement redirects without having to manually edit files. Popular plugins like Redirection or Yoast SEO allow you to create and manage 301 and 302 redirects directly from the backend. This is often the easiest time.
Server-side redirects (Nginx, IIS)
If your website is running on an Nginx or IIS server, redirects must be implemented via the server configuration. For Nginx, you can use the rewrite directive to set up redirects.
rewrite ^/old-page/?$ https://yourdomain.com/new-page permanently;
Redirection and SEO
Properly implemented redirects are essential for protecting your website’s SEO, especially when you change URL structure or move content. Incorrect or missing redirects can result in 404 errors/dead links, which can impact the user experience and negatively impact your search engine rankings.
How redirects protect your SEO strategy:
- Preserves link value: A 301 redirect transfers the majority of link value from the old URL to the new one, ensuring that your search engine rankings don’t drop.
- Prevents duplicate content: Redirects can help ensure that search engines don’t see multiple versions of the same page as duplicate content.
- Ensures proper indexing: When you implement 301 redirects, you help search engines find and index the correct page.
Typical errors with redirects
While redirects are important, incorrectly implemented redirects can hinder your site’s rankings in Google and other search engines. Here are some of the most common mistakes:
- Redirect chains: When multiple redirects point to each other (e.g. URL A → URL B → URL C), this can result in longer load times and crawl issues. This should be avoided by pointing the original URL directly to the final destination.
- Incorrect use of 302 instead of 301: If you use a 302 redirect where there should have been a 301, you lose SEO value as search engines will treat the original page as relevant.
At Click in, we have extensive experience handling redirects as part of our SEO solutions and web development. We ensure that your redirects are set up correctly so that you don’t lose valuable traffic or search rankings. Whether you’re moving content, changing domains, or optimizing your URL structure, we help protect your website and maintain a healthy SEO strategy.
You can read more about how to do a successful SEO migration of a website here.
