What is a 301 Redirect?

Synonyms: Permanent URL redirect HTTP 301 status

A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. When a user or a search engine attempts to access the original URL, the server automatically directs them to the new one. This type of redirect is essential for maintaining website traffic and search engine rankings when you move or remove a page.

Why Use a 301 Redirect?

There are several situations where you might use a 301 redirect, such as:

• Moving to a new domain: If you’re rebranding or changing your website’s domain, a 301 redirect will ensure that users and search engines find your new site without any issues.
• Changing URLs: If you’ve updated your URLs for better SEO or readability, a 301 redirect will send visitors to the new URL.
• Fixing broken links: If a page no longer exists or has been moved, a 301 redirect prevents users from landing on a 404 error page.
• Merging content: If you’re consolidating multiple pages into one, a 301 redirect will guide users and search engines to the new, combined page.

How Does It Impact SEO?

The great thing about a 301 redirect is that it passes on around 90-99% of the original page’s link equity, which means that the SEO value (like backlinks and authority) of the old page transfers to the new one. This helps ensure that your search rankings don’t suffer when a URL changes.

A 301 redirect is the best option for permanent changes because search engines like Google will eventually replace the old URL with the new one in their index.

How to Set Up a 301 Redirect

Setting up a 301 redirect can vary depending on the platform or CMS you’re using. However, here are common ways to implement it:

• On a WordPress site: You can use plugins like Swift SEO to easily manage redirects without coding.
• On Apache servers: The .htaccess file can be edited to add a 301 redirect rule.
• On Nginx servers: You can add the redirect rule directly in the server configuration files.

Best Practices

• Always use a 301 redirect for permanent changes.
• Avoid chaining multiple redirects, as it can slow down page load times and confuse search engines.
• Test your redirects after setting them up to ensure they’re working correctly.