Are you moving your website to a secure HTTPS connection, undergoing a rebrand, or restructuring? If so, you’ll want to employ a 301 redirect strategy. It will allow you to move content from one URL to another without damaging your website’s user experience or SEO strength. But what exactly is a 301 redirect, and when and how should you use one?
What Is a 301 Redirect?
A 301 redirect is an HTTPS status code that automatically redirects users and search engines from one URL to another. It also lets browsers and bots know that the original page has moved permanently. A 301 redirect allows a website owner to move a webpage to a new URL while ensuring visitors can still access the content they want. It also preserves most of the SEO value of the original pages.
Why Are 301 Redirects Important in SEO?
Preserves Link Equity
Imagine spending years building SEO rankings and authority for a webpage, only to lose it all because you moved the content to a brand-new URL. Users who click on backlinks to access your content would arrive at a dead page. A 301 redirect transfers that value to the new location, protecting your SEO efforts, and hopefully your website traffic.
Improves the User Experience
We’ve all had it happen before: You click on a link to view an article or other content that piques your interest, only to be presented with a 404 error and a “Page Not Found” message. Not only is it frustrating, it certainly doesn’t offer a good first impression of the website you’re visiting. By simply inserting a 301 redirect, that website could point users to the correct location and create a smoother experience.
Enables You To Restructure or Rebrand
If you decide to change your domain name due to a rebrand (or any other reason), you risk losing visibility. However, a 301 redirect can ensure that all search engines and visitors arrive at your new domain.
When to Use a 301 Redirect
Rebranding Your Website
If you change your company name or website address, you want to ensure that customers still arrive at the right place. By employing a solid 301 redirect strategy, you can not only direct people to your new site, but also protect your bounce rates.
Changing a Page’s URL
You don’t have to move your entire domain to benefit from a 301 redirect. Even if you’re just tweaking a webpage URL, a 301 will ensure visitors still find your content.
Merging or Deleting Content
Sometimes, you might want to consolidate content from several articles or products onto a single page. For example, let’s say you have multiple articles that cover nearly identical topics. This may confuse search engines or hurt your SEO performance. In that case, you could use a 301 redirect to point people to the best page.
When Moving From HTTP to HTTPS
If your website still uses an HTTP protocol, you’ll likely want to secure it by adding an SSL certificate. This requires pointing the domain to its HTTPS equivalent, which you can do using a 301 redirect. Per Serpstat, “a 301 redirect from HTTP to HTTPS is the most commonly used method as it is the most accurate and comprehensive for search engines.”
When a 301 Redirect Is Not Suggested
Temporary Moves
For a short-term change, like running a limited-time campaign, use a 302 redirect instead of a 301. A 302 tells search engines that the move is temporary. If you were to use a 301, it could have SEO consequences, such as lost SEO juice or confusion for search engines.
Frequent A/B Testing of Pages
If you want to run a temporary A/B test between two webpages to compare performance, you might set up a redirect to push users to one page instead of the other. Because you may ultimately choose one page over the other, you shouldn’t use a 301 redirect, as search engines would interpret it as a permanent move. In this case, you would use a 302 redirect.
301 Redirect Mistakes to Avoid
Not Updating Internal Links
Any time a website visitor clicks on a link with a redirect, it adds a second or two of load time.
Let’s say you move a blog post from example.com/blog/best-money-saving-tips-2024 to example.com/blog/best-money-saving-tips-2025, using a 301 redirect. If you don’t update the internal links on your site that still link to the old blog post, it can hurt user experience ever so slightly. It could also hurt SEO.
Redirect Chains
When multiple redirects are strung together, it causes a redirect chain, where one URL connects to another, which connects to another, and so on. Not surprisingly, this can slow load times and frustrate users. Try to use only one redirect for a URL.
Ignoring Mobile and AMP Pages
If you have mobile-specific URLs or Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMPs), you must create specific 301 redirects for those pages, or mobile users may receive a 404 error. This is an easily overlooked problem.
How to Do a 301 Redirect in a CMS
Many Content Management System (CMS) platforms offer built-in redirect features that don’t require coding. In most cases, all you need to do is input the old URL into a plug-in along with the new destination URL. Here’s a closer look at how this might work in two popular CMSs.
How to Redirect a URL in WordPress
Use a WordPress Plug-In
One of the great things about WordPress is the thousands of plug-ins available for just about every purpose. You can simplify the redirect process in WordPress using a plug-in, such as the premium version of Yoast SEO or Redirection, which I use on my websites. You don’t need any technical skills to set these up — it’s as simple as installing the plug-in and inputting the URLs.
Use .htaccess
If you have some technical skills and don’t mind making changes on the web server, you can add manual redirects by editing the .htaccess file. This is an efficient way to manage redirects and helps to avoid adding further plug-ins to your site, which can hamper performance. Remember to always back up your website before making server changes.
Here is an example of what an .htaccess file edit might look like:
Redirect 301 /old-page https://www.example.com/new-page
Use Hosting Panel Tools
Some web hosts, such as SiteGround or Bluehost, have redirect management tools built into their dashboards. These tools offer the simplicity of a plug-in like Redirection, without actually using a plug-in.
How to Redirect a URL in HubSpot
Use HubSpot’s URL Redirects Tool
The HubSpot CMS has a built-in URL redirect feature that is customizable and easy to use. You can even bulk-update URL redirects. To add a new redirect, head to your account and click “Settings.” Then, select “Content” and “Domains & URLs” from the left sidebar menu. Click on the “URL Redirects” tab, then “Add URL Redirect.” Once set up, you can fully manage your redirects from the tool dashboard.
Other Types of Redirects
302 Redirect
If you need to temporarily move a page, you’ll want to choose a 302 redirect instead of a 301. Search engines will know that the move is temporary and will keep the original page indexed, protecting your SEO rankings and link equity.
307 Redirect
A 307 redirect is less common than a 301 or 302. It’s a temporary redirect and similar to a 302. However, it’s used in situations when you need to guarantee that the request method stays the same. Examples could include form submissions, APIs, and apps.
Meta Refresh
A meta refresh is not an actual redirect, but operates like one. Its primary purpose is to redirect visitors to a new website page after a specific period. The user will often see a message on the page stating, “This page will refresh after 5 seconds” or something similar. Meta refreshes can be written into a site’s HTML or set up in the CMS settings. They are not ideal for SEO, partly because they create very slow load times.
JavaScript Redirect
JavaScript redirects use JavaScript code to send users from one webpage to another instead of 301 or 302 redirects. JavaScript redirects occur on the client side rather than the server side, like 301s and 302s. In other words, the browser handles the redirect.
While this can be helpful in dynamic situations where you need to send users to another page based on a specific condition or action, JavaScript redirects aren’t always treated like 301 and 302 redirects by search engines, and you could lose SEO value if they’re not set up correctly. Your best option is generally to use a server-side redirect (301 or 302) when possible. Note that JavaScript redirects are meant for temporary redirects, not permanent ones.
Key Takeaways
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect that tells search engines and browsers that a page has moved to a new URL. It provides users with a comfortable experience by eliminating 404 errors and preserves the page’s SEO value. A 301 redirect can also come in handy when rebranding a website or moving from HTTP to secure HTTPS. That said, a 301 redirect is not ideal for temporary moves, such as A/B tests. In those cases, 302 redirects are a better option. You can set up a 301 redirect manually by editing your web server’s .htaccess file or by using CMS tools or redirect plug-ins.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are 404 errors?
A 404 error occurs when you try to visit a webpage that no longer exists, or has been moved to a new location without a redirect. It’s essentially the server saying, “Page Not Found.”
What is the difference between a 301 and 302 redirect?
A 301 redirect is considered permanent, while a 302 redirect is meant to be temporary. In the case of a 301 redirect, search engines are instructed to transfer SEO value from the old URL to the new one. This is critical if you want to maintain your existing page rankings. Because a 302 redirect is temporary, SEO value is not passed along.
Is a 301 redirect good or bad?
If used correctly, a 301 redirect will have a positive impact on your website’s performance. It ensures that your website remains organized, preserves your SEO value, and prevents a negative visitor experience.
What is the difference between a 404 and a 301 redirect?
A 301 redirect points users and bots to a new webpage, whereas a 404 error tells visitors the page cannot be found — this can lead to a poor user experience.
