Cluster 23: Technical SEO
What Is Redirect?
A redirect is a web server technique that automatically sends users and search engines from one URL to another when a page moves, gets deleted, or changes addresses.
What We’ll Cover
We’ll discuss important aspects of Redirect including:
- Why A Redirect Matters
- How A Redirect Works
- Example Of A Redirect
- Benefits Of A Redirect
- Redirect Mistakes
- Redirect Related Terms
- Redirect FAQ
Search Intent
Funnel Stage
Significance
Why Redirect Matters
Proper redirects pass link equity (PageRank) from old URLs to new ones. This protects the authority your pages have earned over time, keeping your organic traffic steady during site migrations, domain changes, or content cleanups.
Mechanics
How Redirect Works
Redirects function at the server or browser level using standard HTTP status codes:
- Request: A user or search engine bot requests a URL (e.g.,
example.com/old-page). - Server Response: The server intercepts the request and returns an HTTP status code indicating the page has moved.
- Redirection: The browser or crawler receives the new destination address from the response headers and loads
example.com/new-pageautomatically. - Status Codes: Common codes include 301 Moved Permanently (passes link equity and updates search indexes) and 302 Found / Temporary (keeps the original URL indexed for temporary changes).
Application
Redirect Example
An e-commerce store redesigns its catalog and changes product URLs from store.com/products/item-123 to store.com/mens/shoes/item-123.
By setting up a 301 redirect, anyone with the old link bookmarked or clicking a link from an external blog automatically lands on the new page. Google also updates its index to show the new URL while keeping the original page’s rankings intact.
Advantages
Benefits Of A Redirect
- Preserves Link Equity: Passes ranking power and authority from established URLs to new pages.
- Improves User Experience: Keeps visitors from landing on frustrating 404 “Page Not Found” error pages.
- Maintains Referral Traffic: Ensures external backlinks from other websites continue delivering visitors to active content.
- Supports Smooth Site Migrations: Enables domain name changes, CMS transitions, and protocol updates (HTTP to HTTPS) without losing organic visibility.
Pitfalls
Redirect Mistakes
- Redirect Chains: Stacking multiple redirects (Page A to Page B to Page C), which slows load speed and wastes crawl budget.
- Redirect Loops: Pointing two pages at each other (Page A to Page B and Page B to Page A), creating an infinite loop that breaks the page.
- Using 302 Instead of 301: Applying temporary 302 redirects for permanent changes, which can delay or prevent search engines from transferring link equity.
- Mass Redirecting to the Homepage: Pointing deleted pages indiscriminately to the homepage, which Google often treats as soft 404 errors.
Vocabulary
Redirect Related Terms
Questions
Redirect FAQ
Redirect FAQs
What is the difference between a 301 and a 302 redirect?
A 301 redirect indicates a permanent move, telling search engines to transfer link equity and index the new URL. A 302 redirect signals a temporary change, telling crawlers to keep the original URL in search results.
Do 301 redirects hurt SEO rankings?
No, proper 301 redirects do not hurt rankings. Google passes virtually all PageRank through 301 redirects, though pages may experience temporary ranking fluctuations during crawling and reindexing.
How many redirects are too many in a chain?
You should avoid chains altogether, but search engines like Google typically follow up to five redirect hops before stopping and flagging a crawl error.
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