301 Redirection: What it is & How to Implement it

When it comes to managing a website, maintaining and improving its SEO performance is very important, as it gives the website's ranking on SERPs. 301 Redirection is a useful SEO tool directing search engines when there's a need to change a URL to a new URL or an Old Domain to a new domain.

As one of the best digital marketing agencies in India, we understand the important role of the 301 redirects tag in optimizing website performance and for better user experience. Today, we are excited to introduce another interesting topic in our digital marketing blog: "What 301 redirection is and how to implement it on our website?" Let's get into the world of 301 redirects, explaining their significance and providing an overview, step-by-step guide on correct 301 redirection implementation without errors. This tool needs to be use carefully, let's understand 301 Redirection.

What is 301 redirection?

HTTPS status codes are categorized into different classes such as 1xx, 2xx, 3xx, 4xx, and others. Redirection, including the 301 Redirection, falls under the 3xx category, informing the client browser about the additional action required to fulfill the request. Therefore, 301 is among the HTTP status codes sent by the web server to the browser.

301 redirection signals permanent redirection, indicating a status code that informs search engines about a specific URL or domain being permanently moved to a new URL or domain, respectively. It ensures that users and search engines requesting the old URL are directed to the new URL, preserving user experience. Imagine clicking a link on the internet and encountering a 404 error or 'page not found' message, wouldn't that be disappointing? To prevent such disruptions, we use 301 redirections to seamlessly redirect users to a new URL, improving their web surfing experience. Moreover, implementing 301 redirections aligns with good SEO practices, positively impacting your SERP performance. This redirection is particularly useful when making changes to a webpage or domain, ensuring users are not inconvenienced during these updates.

For example, if you have a webpage with outdated content at 'https://www.webzyro.com/digital-marketing-agency-patna' and you've updated another webpage with current content, 301 redirection can be used to redirect users from the old, outdated webpage to the new, updated one.

Still confused? No worries, here's another example: imagine your house is undergoing renovations and you have guests arriving today. Would you still prefer them to stay at your house, or would you find a comfortable alternative for them? It's simple, right? You might book a hotel or arrange for them to stay at another house. Now, is your doubt about why we use 301 redirection cleared? Perfect. Let's continue with our blog.

Now, you must be wondering, what are the importance of 301 redirection and how to implement it? Don't worry, we will assist you with these questions as well.

Why 301 Redirection is Important?

Redirection is a good SEO practice that helps a website improve its performance. However, incorrect implementation can affect your website's performance. Consider exploring our blog post on URL redirection and its implementation to get a deeper understanding of URL redirection and its proper execution. A 301 redirection transfers 90% of the page authority to the new redirected page, preserving your Google ranking and maintaining backlink equity and link juice. It is also useful in eliminating duplicate content by redirecting duplicate content pages to a single page. In this case, you can also use canonical tags to specify the main page search engines should prioritize but it can create keyword cannibalization, which can harm your SEO performance. Additionally, eliminating old URLs with poor URL structures boosts user experience, building trust and satisfaction by ensuring users find relevant pages, even when accessing outdated URLs.

How to Implement 301 Redirection to Our Website?

Before implementation, consider whether you truly need this redirection. If the answer is yes, then proceed with it. Here are a few steps to implement a 301 redirection:

Identify the URLs: Now, identify which URLs need 301 redirections. Create a list with the relevant pages so that you can redirect the old pages to the appropriate new ones. This includes pages that have been permanently moved from your website, outdated URLs, broken link that got indexed, or URLs with duplicate content.

Select Method: After deciding, now choose the method you want to use for redirection. This can be done through server-side configuration, which includes editing the .htaccess file for Apache servers or the web.config file for IIS servers. Alternatively, you may choose for code-based solutions such as PHP and JavaScript.

Redirect Rules: After choosing the method, you have to set the redirect rule according to the selected method. For instance, if you are using the .htaccess file, then you have to utilize the "Redirect 301" directive followed by the old and new URL. To do this, navigate to your Hostinger server and locate the .htaccess file in the root folder. Simply edit it and insert the redirection rule. It's crucial to keep a backup of your .htaccess file before making any changes, as this file is important and any mistakes could potentially affect your website. Always make sure you have a backup ready so that you can replace the new .htaccess file with the backup if needed.

Check the Redirection: Verify whether the implemented redirection is functioning correctly. If it is not working, you need to examine your redirection rule and rectify any issues.

Redirection Loop: make sure to avoid creating a redirection loop by refraining from using a previously redirected URL as a new one. Doing so will result in a redirection loop.

Monitor and maintain: Regularly keep monitoring your website traffic and redirections, ensuring everything functions smoothly.

By following these basic steps, you can effectively implement 301 redirects on your website, preserving SEO value, enhancing user experience, and ensuring seamless navigation for visitors.