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Explanation of one of the most important HTTP codes on the web

A redirect is a technique where a URL (not a domain) is automatically redirected to another URL. Redirects are used for a variety of reasons, such as moving a website to a new domain, consolidating multiple pages, or redirecting users to a secure HTTPS version of a page. There are several types of redirects, each with different purposes and SEO implications.

Types of Redirects

  1. 301 Redirect (Permanent):
    • This is a permanent redirect from one URL to another.
    • It tells search engines that the old URL has been permanently moved to the new URL.
    • SEO benefit: Most of the link juice (SEO value) of the old URL is transferred to the new URL.
Redirect 301 /alte-seite.html http://www.neue-seite.de/neue-seite.html
  1. 302 Redirect (Found/Temporary):
    • This is a temporary redirect that indicates that the URL has been temporarily moved to another address.
    • It is used when the redirect is only temporary and the old URL is to be used again in the future.
    • SEO benefit: The link juice is not completely transferred because search engines continue to index the old URL.
Redirect 302 /alte-seite.html http://www.neue-seite.de/voruebergehende-seite.html
  1. 307 Redirect (Temporary Redirect):
    • This is an HTTP 1.1 specification and is the more accurate version of the 302 redirect.
    • It signals that the resource is temporarily found under a different URL, but the method of the request (GET, POST) should be preserved.
  2. Meta refresh:
    • A client-side redirect realized via a meta tag in the HTML document.
    • Usually not recommended for SEO because it is slower and search engine crawlers may not handle it as efficiently as server-side redirects.
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="5; url=http://www.neue-seite.de/neue-seite.html">

Using redirects

1. Domain change

  • When a website moves to a new domain, 301 redirects are used to ensure that users and search engines are directed to the new domain.
Redirect 301 / http://www.neue-domain.de/

2. Page consolidation

  • When multiple pages are merged into a single page, 301 redirects are used to direct users and search engines to the consolidated page.
Redirect 301 /old-page1.html http://www.new-page.com/
Redirect 301 /old-page2.html http://www.new-page.com/

3. Error pages (404)

  • When a page no longer exists, a redirect to a related page or the home page can improve the user experience.
Redirect 301 /non-existent-page.html http://www.new-page.com/

4. HTTPS migration

  • When moving from HTTP to HTTPS, 301 redirects are used to ensure that all HTTP requests are redirected to the secure HTTPS version.
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]

Impact on SEO

  • 301 redirects: Positive impact on SEO as they carry over link juice and tell search engines that the new URL is the definitive address.
  • 302 redirects: Can have negative impact on SEO if mistakenly used instead of 301 redirects as search engines will continue to index the old URL.
  • Meta refresh: Generally not recommended as they are less effective for SEO and can impact user experience.

Conclusion

Redirects are an essential tool in web management to ensure that users and search engines find the content they want, even when URLs change. Choosing the right redirect type is crucial to maintaining SEO value and providing a good user experience.

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