What is 301 Redirect?


What You Need to Know about 301 Redirect

Preserves Search Rankings

301 redirects pass 90-95% of original page authority to the new URL, maintaining search visibility during site restructuring.

Prevents Duplicate Content

A 301 redirect eliminates competition between old and new URLs by consolidating ranking signals into a single canonical version.

Essential for Site Migrations

301 redirects are critical for maintaining organic traffic when moving domains, changing URL structures, or consolidating pages.

Requires Proper Implementation

301 redirects must be configured at server level through .htaccess, server configs, or CDN rules to ensure search engines recognize the redirect.

Common Implementation Mistakes

Redirect chains, temporary redirects (302s), and missing redirects cause ranking losses and indexing issues.

Monitoring Is Critical

Track redirect performance, crawl errors, and ranking changes to ensure proper implementation and maintained SEO value.


Frequently Asked Questions about 301 Redirect

1. What’s the difference between 301 and 302 redirects?

301s are permanent and pass link equity; 302s are temporary and don’t transfer ranking signals effectively.

2. How long should I keep 301 redirects active?

Maintain redirects for at least one year, longer for high-traffic pages, to ensure complete search engine recognition.

3. Do 301 redirects hurt page speed?

Properly implemented 301s add minimal latency, but redirect chains significantly slow load times and hurt rankings.

4. Can I redirect an entire domain with 301s?

Yes, domain-wide 301 redirects preserve rankings when moving sites, but require careful URL mapping and testing.


Explore More EcommerCe SEO Topics

Related Terms

Taxonomy

Taxonomy organizes site content into hierarchical categories that improve crawlability, user experience, and search visibility through logical structure.

Taxonomy

Caching

Stores website files to reduce load times and improve performance by serving cached resources instead of origin server requests

Caching

Core Web Vitals

Google’s performance metrics for loading, interactivity, and visual stability that impact rankings and user experience.

Core Web Vitals

Crawl Budget

Limited resources search engines allocate to crawling and indexing pages on your website within a specific timeframe.

Crawl budget


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