In this high paced tech world, everyone is creating websites for their social and online presence.
The website can be used to represent a business or a personal blog.
Every website has a web address or domain name with which it is made accessible on the Internet.
People are always looking for fancy and easy domain names, as these are easy to remember.
If you are in luck, then you might end up acquiring a domain name that is fancy, easy, and represents your business or blog niche.
But most of the time, people are not that lucky, and they fail in acquiring their desired domain names.
What should one do when they don’t succeed in acquiring their desired domain name?
Fortunately, nowadays, we almost have a solution to every problem we face in the online world.
This issue of domain name acquisition was sorted out by weblink redirection. Yes, life was made easy.
In layman’s terms, redirection is simply a detour from one place to another, ensuring the end destination.
Let’s try to understand the web redirection process in detail. There are three different types of redirections which are:
- 301
- 302
- Meta Refresh
301 redirect
What is 301 redirect?
301 redirect (also referred to as Technical SEO) is a solution people use to tell search engines that some pages or even their complete website have been routed to a new web address.
301 redirect can also be referred to as a set of instructions executed every time a user enters a specific web address. This set of instructions informs where to route the user when a certain web address is searched.
For example, you are looking to access a web store. You enter its last known web address.
As soon as you hit enter, you are automatically directed to a new web address.
This address is different from the one entered earlier, but this is a much better and refined website for that web store.
This process of rerouting a request from one location to another location is called a 301 redirect.
Why do I need it?
Going through the internet searches, you find many reasons to have a 301 redirect for your website. But following are the most common reasons for using a 301 redirect.
- Change in brand names
- Add/ modify website content
Change in brand names:
Brands change, businesses grow, and people change. Everyone is looking for something new every day.
You can also see many of these changes on the Internet. Old websites replace new websites, but no one wants to lose traffic.
No one wants to let his hard-earned online followers go away. 301 redirects help people ensure that their customer base is successfully shifted from their old web address to the new ones.
It is also an SEO-friendly redirect ensuring your viewer to be at the right place.
Modify website content:
Another common reason for using a 301 redirect is a modification in website design. One can always add a new page, change the content of a page, change a section or redesign the complete website.
How will I be benefited?
Yes, I will be benefited. I have to be honest; I can’t afford to lose my audience just because I have a new website.
It is challenging to make your online presence and then maintain and grow it, ensuring more and more review.
But I also don’t want my existing viewer base to get bored and leave. So I have to work and improve my website constantly.
301 redirection is the answer to all my needs. It is the whole package of ensured redirection, seamless experience with optimized SEO, which helps maintain an online presence.
Any issues I might face?
Everything has consequences. Some are worth the effort, and some are just to be avoided.
Using 301 redirections can affect indexing on a website because this redirection tells the search engine to look for the actual page or the URL somewhere else.
- First of all, the issues in indexing will lead to a decline in traffic. This is why a website is being updated or is under any maintenance activity. A permanent301 redirection is harmful.
- Secondly, smooth transitions between two domains (old and new) data migration is a must. Data migration should be completed before shifting from the old domain to the new domain. If not completed before, then users will be lost as there will no content to see.
- Thirdly, it is very important to ensure that no multiple redirects make a chain effect and constant redirection between old and new web links.
Multiple redirects mean that your viewer is landing at an unknown address which is neither your new or old web address. In a well though 301 redirection scenario, your user will search for your old web address and be automatically redirected to your new web address. But unfortunately, a careless or wrong 301 redirection configuration might leave the customer switching between multiple pages.
- Last but not least, you have to understand that 301 redirections will add additional delays in the loading of your website. Some viewers may not like that.
Is 301 redirection easy to use?
It depends on what language or method is being used to develop the website.
For me, WordPress works. So let me tell you how 301 redirects can be used in a website made on a WordPress template.
Simply use the plugin for 301 redirections. Yes, it’s that simple and is quite famous among most website owners.
All you need to do is go into your web settings, and once you have installed and activated the 301 redirection plugin, move down to tools and select redirections.
The redirection section will require you to enter the “Source URL” any title.
If you want this to give it, select URL Only in the Match option and enter the task when matched with its HTTP code.
Enter your desired URL in “Target URL” and mention Group. Save the settings and BINGO! You have successfully enabled a 301 redirection on your website.
302 redirect
Contrary to a 301 permanent redirection, some people also consider using a 302 temporary redirection.
A 302 temporary redirection is used when a website is under temporary maintenance or upgrade. A 302 redirection doesn’t affect SEO ranking and is safer for Google Indexing.
Meta refresh
If you want a redirect after a certain amount of time, then Meta Refresh is your redirection option. It is not commonly used, but you can always use it for specialized websites.
How to choose from 301 or 302 redirect
From a beginner’s perspective, it is always confusing what to choose from 301 or 302 redirects.
To make the right decision while choosing from 301 or 302 redirects, it is very important to know your needs.
Ask yourself why you need a redirection on your website?
What purpose will it fulfill? Will it be a permanent or a temporary redirect? Answering these questions will help in identifying your goal and achieving your target.
Failure in identifying the need and reason for redirection might end up ruining the SEO of the website.
Web developers usually prefer using a 302 redirect for the websites (either managing or creating for any client).
The reason is simple. It is easy to handle. It is temporary, and above all, there is no impact on Website SEO.
302 redirect also doesn’t affect Google indexing of the website.
So if you are planning on upgrading your website or add new functions/ features/ sections and pages, then yes, 302 redirection suits you the most.
But if you are looking for a fancy new URL or domain and want your viewer to be auto-routed from an old link to a new link with a carefully used SEO scheme, then yes, you should go for 301 reroutings.
Bottom Line
Redirection of users and search engines from one web address to another address is an effective way to develop, grow or enhance your website.
But you should know the reason for which redirection is required on your website. Once the reason for redirection is defined, choose what type of redirection will help you minimize any unforeseen damage to your website.
Draft out all the things which could affect the page loading, SEO, and viewership on the website.
Ensure that all the data has been shifted before the redirection configuration is done and do not make chain redirections.
Your website is your brand or business platform. You can’t risk your effort because of any careless mistake.
Always ensure a safe transition from one link to another, and know that it took you months to acquire a viewer. People must at least roam around your website if not buying anything.
Let me know if you have any questions?
