Redirects

Why They Matter

• They preserve rankings during URL changes. A 301 (permanent) redirect tells search engines that the old URL's content and authority should transfer to the new URL. Without it, the new page starts from scratch with no ranking power.
• Every redirect adds latency. Each redirect requires an additional HTTP round trip — DNS lookup, connection, server response — before the user reaches the actual page. Two or three redirects in a chain can add hundreds of milliseconds to load time.
• Redirect chains waste crawl budget. Search engine crawlers have a limited number of pages they will crawl on your site per visit. Every redirect in a chain uses up crawl budget without delivering actual content.
• Wrong redirect types send wrong signals. A 301 says "this page has permanently moved." A 302 says "this is temporary." Using the wrong type confuses search engines about whether to transfer ranking authority and which URL to keep in their index.

How to Use Them Well

1. Use 301 redirects for permanent changes. When a page has permanently moved to a new URL, use a 301 redirect. This transfers ranking authority to the new URL and tells search engines to update their index.
2. Use 302 redirects for temporary changes. If a page is temporarily unavailable or you are testing a new URL, use a 302. This tells search engines to keep the original URL in their index because the change is not permanent.
3. Eliminate redirect chains. If URL A redirects to URL B, which redirects to URL C, update the redirect from A to point directly to C. Every hop in the chain adds delay and increases the chance of crawlers giving up before reaching the destination.
4. Update internal links to point to final URLs. After setting up redirects, update all internal links throughout your site to point directly to the new URLs. This eliminates unnecessary redirects for your own visitors and saves server resources.
5. Audit redirects periodically. Over time, redirects accumulate — old migrations, renamed pages, restructured sections. Regularly review your redirect rules to clean up chains, remove redirects to deleted pages, and consolidate unnecessary hops.

Common Mistakes

• Creating redirect chains. Migrating a site multiple times without cleaning up old redirects creates chains where A goes to B goes to C goes to D. Each hop is wasted time and crawl budget. Always point redirects to the final destination.
• Using 302 when 301 is correct. A surprising number of "permanent" redirects are implemented as 302s by mistake. This prevents search engines from transferring ranking authority properly and keeps the old URL in the index.
• Redirect loops. Page A redirects to Page B, and Page B redirects back to Page A. The browser bounces indefinitely until it gives up and shows an error. Always test redirects after implementing them to catch loops.
• Not redirecting old URLs at all. Deleting a page without redirecting its old URL means anyone with a bookmarked link, external backlink, or search result for that page gets a 404 error. Redirect to the most relevant replacement page instead.