What are 301 Redirects? and When to use them?

When moving a website’s URL to another, you have to send your visitors to the right place.

Also known as a 301 redirect.

In this article we will learn:

What a 301 redirect is
When you need 301 redirects
Redirecting a URL in WordPress
Differences between 301 and 302 redirects

So, let’s dive right in.

What is a 301 permanent redirect?

301 redirect is:

A HTTP status code by a web server sent to a browser
A permanent redirect from one URL to another

So, all visitors going to your old URL will automatically be sent to the new URL.

A 301 redirect also:

Passes rankings from the old URL to the new URL
Is used when a web page is permanently moved or removed from a website

If you move a content to another URL, your visitors will receive a 404 – page not found message.

This is not good for user experience.

Instead, ask the server to forward visitors from the old URL to the new URL using a 301 redirect.

Now, when visitors go to the old URL:

The server sends back the 301 – Permanently Moved status code
Then moves them to the new URL

This happens quickly and visitors are not aware

Only browser extensions like Ayima Redirect Path can inform visitors of redirects.

301 redirects are also important for SEO because these status codes allow search engines to keep their index up-to-date.

301 Redirects in a CMS

Implementing 301 redirects is different from platform to platform.

Here we will look at WordPress to help you get started:

Redirecting URLs in WordPress

We are looking at redirects in WordPress because it’s the most popular CMS in the world.

But WordPress is flexible and installing it can vary.

If you get stuck then ask a web developer to add URL redirects.

Apply a redirect on the server

The fastest way to apply redirects is on the web server, not on WordPress.

WordPress offers plugins for 301 redirects but no function out-the-box.

301 redirects on the server can vary depending on your server’s software stack.

Each requires a different approach and can vary depending on your hosting provider too.

If you do not know how to do it then consult an IT team, your host or a web developer.

Redirect URLs with free WordPress plugins

If you can’t apply a redirect on your server, use a WordPress plugin.

Not the best method because:

Plugins are slower
You have to rely on third-party code

Note: Each plugin is different, so read the plugin’s instructions first.

This is how to set up 301 redirects with the free Redirection plugin:

Install the Redirection plugin
Activate the Redirection plugin
Go to “Settings”
Then “Redirection”
Now follow the setup instructions
You will end up at the plugin Options menu
From the top menu, click Redirects
Here you can see all active 301 redirects and add new ones
In the “Add new redirection” entry, enter the old URL and the new URL
Finally, click “Add Redirect”

After this is complete, you can see the new redirect in the active redirects list.

When to Use 301 Redirects

You will need to use a 301 redirect when:

Changing a URL

If your original URL was not optimised well or you’re re-organizing your URL structure.

Just make sure to check the URL is working when done.

Recreating content

When completely rebuilding old content on a new page:

Use a 301 redirect from the old URL to the new
Then unpublish and archive the old pages

When recreating multiple content pieces, use a tool like Screaming Frog SEO Spider with Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel.

Doing so will help you map your redirects in bulk, then import them into your CMS.

Merging your content

Merge your content if multiple pieces:

Overlap
Compete for the same keywords
Cover the same topic

But, keep the search engine visibility achieved by these old pages.

Do this by setting up a 301 redirect from each old page to the new page.

Moving content from one domain to another

Use page-to-page 301 redirects from your old content to new, when moving your website from one domain to another.

If only the website is moving domains and structure and layout is staying the same then it’s easy.

But if the content is changing or being restructured, it is important you redirect with your users’ original intent in mind.

This helps pass your old page’s visibility to the new ones.

Remember:

Redirects should come from the original URL when applying page-to-page 301 redirects from one domain to another
Don’t host your old domain’s 301 redirects on your CMS without connecting your CMS to your new domain AND your old domain
Consult IT partners or a web developer so redirects from your old domain are applied and keep them in place indefinitely

Moving a Website During a Phased Launch

You can use a phased launch approach when moving your website from one domain to another involves certain constraints.

Meaning launching the main website pages in phase one, a few more pages in phase two, etc.

For this approach, create a phased redirect map:

Take into account all old domain URLs and which URLs will be redirected for each phase.

Phase one:

Apply 301 redirects for all the pages moving to the new site
Add 302 redirects for all other pages to the new website’s homepage

This stops:

Visitors receiving a 404 error when visiting your old domain
Confusing search engines by your pages redirecting to irrelevant content

Note: With each phase update the redirects by replacing 302s with 301s as content becomes available.

Just remember to apply redirects from your old domain.

301 Redirects vs 302 Redirects

301 redirects are permanent and 302 redirects are temporary.

A 301 is used when a page changes location permanently, and a 302 is used if you’re going to move back to the original URL page in the future.

Generally, you use 301 redirects on your website.

But, there are times to use a 302 instead, including:

A phased website launch plan
Redirecting visitors where SEO does not apply, like login pages or shopping checkout pages
A temporary holding page, where permanent redirects could damage your search engine rankings

Common 301 Redirect Mistakes

The following are 301 redirect mistakes you should avoid:

302s redirect between your domain versions

301 redirects, point authority of one URL to another using inbound links.

So, boost your search engine ranking by setting up 301 redirects from your brand’s related domains to its main one.

301 redirects after creating a new page

Moving your website from its old domain to the new one without setting up a 301 redirect first.

Would result in the new website’s SEO results dropping.

Because Google would re-crawl the website as a new domain and it wouldn’t have inbound links from the original domain pointing to it.

So, make sure your website doesn’t lose traffic by setting up the 301 redirect before moving your content.

Using 302 redirects whilst moving content

Use 302 redirects if temporarily moving your website’s content during updates or website repairs.

If not, when making changes to your domain, use 301 redirect because it maintain:

Inbound links
Search rankings

Redirects linking to outdated content

Set up redirects from your website’s older internal links like a link to your company’s blog on its homepage.

Although, old internal links do redirect to the new domain, it takes several seconds or shows a white screen whilst waiting.

This gives your website visitors a bad user experience.

Redirect a page with a different intent than the destination page.

Make sure your redirects are to the correct pages.

For example, don’t redirect visitors searching for your homepage to the blog page.

Doing this right leads to:

Accurate SEO
Happier website visitors

And 301 redirects help with both:

Moving all content in a website
Refurbishing outdated web pages

So use 301 redirects to maintain your SEO and help your website visitors find the helpful content they’re looking for.

Other Redirect Types

Other Redirect types, include:

302 – Temporarily Moved

Similar to a 301 redirect but the move is temporary.

This wont make a difference to visitors but tells a search engine not to rank the new page, as the old one will be back.

Meta Refresh, also known as Javascript Redirects

Different from 301 and 302 redirects:

The page loads as normal, with a 200 – OK status code
Then, a script runs to move visitors to another page

Used in certain practical cases, but this approach should be avoided.

Because it’s not good for SEO and provides a bad user experience.

Addressing Internal 404 Errors

After finding broken links on your website.

Create a 301 redirect from the broken URL to similar content they wanted to find.

But, update the broken link so it points to the new URL.

Because websites internally navigating with 301 redirects doesn’t count as best practice.

Addressing 404 Errors Reported in Google Search Console

Sometimes, Google Search Console reports 404 pages that aren’t internally linked to you.

All types of sources are covered in Google Search Console’s “Coverage” section.

Sometimes the URLs are from:

A previous version of your website
An external link on another website

So, if Google has seen this URL before, your website visitors might have too.

They might have:

Saved as a bookmark
Written down in an email or on a third-party website
Clicked on it

So create 301 redirects to take these visitors to the right content, similar to the one they were searching for.

Doing so, helps visitors receive the optimum user experience.

Conclusion

301 redirects are important for a healthy website.

They tell visitors and search engines when your website’s content has moved or changed.

301 redirects help make sure:

Your web presence improves
Your visitors have a good user experience
Your website’s visibility in search engines doesnt dip

Just make sure to apply redirects on your website when needed.

Now it’s your turn to let me know how you apply redirects.

And how they have helped your website and its visitors.

Let me know in the comment section below.