What is a redirection?
Redirection refers to the process where a URL leads to a different URL, often without the visitor noticing the change, while search engine bots are fully aware. Redirection is common when a page no longer exists, during server maintenance, or for various other reasons.
Redirecting pages can be essential, for instance, when permanently shutting down a page or directing visitors elsewhere during server maintenance. However, issues arise when a page redirects to another page that is already redirected. This results in what’s called a “redirect chain,” which needs to be fixed.
There are two main types of redirections:
- Temporary Redirection
- Permanent Redirection
Temporary redirection?
A temporary redirection (e.g., 302, 303, 307) signals to search engines that the page is temporarily moved to a new location. In this case, the bot continues indexing the original page, and the new page doesn’t receive any link equity (SEO value).
A 302 redirect is a temporary redirection commonly used when the content of a page has been moved to another URL for a limited time. The 302 redirect does not transfer ranking power from the original page to the new one, and the search engine keep the original URL indexed.
Permanent redirection
A permanent redirection (e.g., 301, 308) tells search engines that the redirected URL has been permanently moved, and the new URL should be indexed and receive the link equity.
The 301 redirect is the most important type for SEO. It is used to permanently redirect one URL to another. This is particularly useful when content is permanently moved to a new URL. The 301 redirect passes most of the original page’s ranking power to the new one.
Too many redirections can waste the crawl budget, confuse users, and, over time, slightly reduce the passed link equity. Additionally, Google only follows up to 5 redirects in a chain. If it doesn’t reach the final page, it won’t index it. Hence, well-maintained websites should avoid internal redirect chains.
Handling 404 pages – Managing broken or not found pages
Dealing with 404 pages (Not Found error) is another critical aspect of redirection. When a page returns a 404 error, it’s best to redirect users to another relevant page, preserving the user experience and ensuring that search engines continue indexing valuable content.
A well-implemented redirection strategy is crucial for maintaining the stability and efficiency of a website in SEO. Misconfigured redirects can negatively impact ranking, user experience, and the website’s reputation.
It is essential to regularly monitor and configure redirects correctly, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition between old and new URLs while maintaining SEO value.