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There’s a lot of talk in the SEO world about 301 redirects, but what are they? And more importantly, how can they help your website rank higher in search engines? In this post, we’ll answer those questions and more. We’ll start by explaining what a 301 redirect is and how it works. Then we’ll show you how to set up a 301 redirect on your website. Finally, we’ll discuss the benefits of using 301 redirects for SEO purposes. By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of what 301 redirects are and why they’re so important for your website’s SEO success.
301 redirects and SEO
What is a 301 redirect?
How do I use a 301 redirect?
Conclusion
A 301 redirect is a permanent redirect from one URL to another. When a browser makes a request for a URL that has been redirected, the server responds with a status code of 301, which tells the browser to direct the user to the new, redirected URL.
301 redirects are often used when a website’s domain name has changed or when an old website has been replaced by a new one. By using a 301 redirect, you can ensure that users who try to access the old website will be automatically directed to the new website. This is important because it helps to preserve your website’s traffic and search engine ranking.
In addition to domain name changes and website replacements, 301 redirects can also be used to redirect traffic from one website to another. For example, you might use a 301 redirect to redirected traffic from an old website to a new website. Or you might use a 301 redirect to send traffic from a non-www version of your website to the www version (or vice versa).
No matter what your reason for using a 301 redirect, the process is relatively simple. In most cases, all you need to do is add a few lines of code to your .htaccess file. We’ll show you how to do that in the next section.
Before we get into the details of how to set up a 301 redirect, let’s take a look at the benefits of using 301 redirects for SEO purposes.
There are several reasons why 301 redirects can be beneficial for your website’s SEO:
1. They preserve your website’s search engine ranking.
2. They help to ensure that users can find your website even if they type in the wrong URL.
3. They help to consolidate multiple versions of your website into one single URL.
4. They can help you to avoid duplicate content penalties from Google.
If you’re not already using 301 redirects on your website, we highly recommend that you start doing so. Not only will it improve your website’s SEO, but it will also make it easier for users to find your website, regardless of how they type in your URL.
Now that we’ve covered the basics of 301 redirects, let’s take a look at how to set one up on your website.
Adding a 301 redirect to your website is relatively simple and only requires a few lines of code. In most cases, you can add the following code to your .htaccess file:
Redirect 301 /oldpage.html http://www.example.com/newpage.html
Replace “oldpage.html” with the URL of the page you’re redirecting, and replace “newpage.html” with the URL of the new page you’re redirecting to.
If you don’t have an .htaccess file on your website, you can create one by following these steps:
1. Log in to your website’s control panel.
2. Go to the directory where your website’s files are stored. This is typically called “public_html” or “www.”
3. Create a new file and name it “.htaccess.”
4. Edit the file and add the following line of code: Redirect 301 /oldpage.html http://www.example.com/newpage.html
5. Save the file and upload it to your server.
Once you’ve added the redirect code to your .htaccess file, make sure to test it to ensure that it’s working properly. You can do this by typing the URL of the old page into your browser and seeing if it redirects you to the new page.
That’s all there is to setting up a 301 redirect! As you can see, it’s a relatively simple process that can have a big impact on your website’s SEO. If you haven’t already started using 301 redirects on your website, we encourage you to do so. It’s a quick and easy way to improve your website’s search engine ranking and make it easier for users to find your site.
Jamie Fallon is an SEO expert who lives life to the maximum, redlining every day on a rollercoaster straight to the grave.
In an SEO career of almost ten years, he’s seen it all, he’s done it all, and he’s not impressed: from white text on a white background to today, when you can have robots paint or write for you like some kind of sick science fiction come true.
No matter what life throws at him, Jamie always manages to come out on top. He’s an expert at seeing the silver lining in every cloud and making the best of every situation. His positive attitude and unshakable faith in himself have seen him through tough times. For some people, success goes to their heads; but Jamie never forgets what got him to wherever he thinks he is.
When he’s not busy gaming the system, you can find him writing angry thinkpieces on how Google is ruining everything good about the internet, or hanging out with his wife (pictured).
