When you should use redirects in your website?
A redirect refers to a method to forward a person from a URL that may not be temporarily or permanently accessible to another related URL.
Redirects are used with the purpose of creating a desirable user experience. Rather than landing on a no longer existing page, a person is automatically forwarded to another useful data on the topic, enabling them to continue their research.
When to Use Redirects?
URL forwarding also known as URL redirect, can be very helpful in various situations, from improving online traffic to easily shifting to a new website page. Here, we will discuss cases where redirects are required to keep a consistent domain name structure.
1. Temporary Maintenance of a Page
You usually need to remove your original website page to enhance and keep it up to date. In these cases, it is always crucial to create a backup page to prevent losing your followers.
You can make use of redirects to permit your followers to access the temporary backup page until the previous page is up and working again. In other words, it offers a wonderful way to continue interacting with your followers and improving user experience when the original web page is temporarily down.
2. Permanent Removal of a Page
Sometimes, you might intend to redesign your whole website and permanently remove some old pages, but you might also want to maintain the content of these pages for your followers.
In such cases, you can utilize redirects to send to a different page where they can examine the content of your old URLs. Therefore, redirects can be a great idea if you want to improve your website but still want to preserve the content of the old pages.
3. Page Merger
You can also take advantage of a redirect to combine two disparate pages as a single page. Establishing a redirect on one page enables you to rapidly send the users to another page.
For any reason, if one of the URLs are not able to work properly after the merger, you can always utilize the redirect to help the visitors obtain access to the other page. Hence, visitors can easily move from one URL to another without external URLs.
4. Changing Domains
If you intend to build a totally new website on a different domain, it might be a suitable idea to keep the internal links of the initial website so that none of the content is lost. You can incorporate redirects into the new website to send visitors to the original content.
A redirect link on the original website can help users gain access to your new website. Simultaneously, the process helps increase the visibility of your new website on the new domain among your existing users.
Different Types of redirects and their SEO impact
There are different types of redirects that have specific features and are used in unique situations.
1. 301 Permanent Redirect
A 301 redirect is a kind of server-side redirect that sends visitors from one URL to another forever. 301 redirect is a crucial redirect from a SEO point of view.
301 is usually utilized when a page has been eliminated or removed forever from the site’s content, yet you decide to keep its traffic, rankings, and links.
2. 302 Found (temporary redirect)
This redirect is designed to redirect traffic to a new URL only for a short time. You should utilize it whenever you must prevent user access to a specific page for a short time.
You should redirect URLs with the 302 redirects only when the original page is not accessible for a short time, and you will want to make it function again.
3. 303 See Other
The 303 Redirect is very similar to the 302 temporary redirects. It informs the browser (and the search engine) that the resource it attempted to access has been replaced with another one.
The use cases for the 303 Redirect are usually similar to the 302. However, if you want to alter the target for the redirect during the temporary redirect, the 303 method is a better choice.
4. 307 Temporary Redirect
307 refers to another temporary redirect that is different from identical methods above by the way it is implemented. Webmasters usually make use of it in place of the 302 redirects if the request method cannot be altered for the target URL.
5. 308 Permanent Redirect (experimental)
308 permanent redirect is known as the permanent counterpart of the 307 redirect. This redirect method functions especially well when a company is switching a very complicated website with lots of forms with the POST method.
6. Server-side redirects
You can understand from the name; the server is the place where side redirect happens on it. A HTTP request for a file is gotten by a server, and responded with a suitable status code, showing the redirect and its nature – permanent or temporary.
Best practices for redirects in SEO
When executing redirects for SEO goals, it is crucial to follow best practices to make sure that they positively affect your website’s search engine rankings and user experience. Here are some key practices:
- Utilize 301 Redirects for Permanent Moves: A 301 redirect shows that a page’s location has been permanently changed. This is the preferred method for SEO as it passes the majority of link equity (ranking power) from the old URL to the new one.
- Keep away from Redirect Chains: Redirect chains happen when a URL passes to another URL, which then sends to a third URL. This can weaken link equity and slow down page load times. You should try to have a direct redirect from the old URL to the final destination.
- Limit the Use of 302 Redirects: A 302 redirect demonstrates a temporary move. While it can be suitable in certain situations, it does not pass link equity as efficiently as a 301 redirect. You must use 302 redirects in a limited way and only when the move is truly temporary.
- Update Internal Links: After executing redirects, make sure that all internal links point directly to the new URL instead of the old one. This helps enhance user experience and ensures that link equity is not lost.
- Check Redirects: You must check your redirects regularly to make sure they are functioning properly and not leading to broken links or errors. Tools such as Google Search Console can help spot issues.
- Use a Sitemap: You need to update your XML sitemap to display the new URLs and submit it to search engines. This helps search engines find the new pages more quickly.
- Execute Redirects at the Server Level: Whenever possible, establish redirects at the server level rather than through application-level redirects. this is often more effective and quicker.
- Test Redirects: Before making changes live, test your redirects to make sure they work as planned and lead to the correct pages.
- Consider User Experience: You must make sure that the redirect sends users to relevant content. If users are redirected to a page that does not meet their needs, it can result in higher bounce rates.
- Document Redirects: Keeping a record of all redirects excused on your site is essential.
