Sending visitors and search engines elsewhere.
WHAT A REDIRECT DOES
Sends a request for one address to another.
THE TWO MAIN KINDS
Permanent: the page has moved for good
Temporary: it will return
WHICH TO USE
Permanent, almost always.
Temporary redirects do not pass ranking signals the same way.
WHEN YOU NEED REDIRECTS
Changing a URL Restructuring a site Migrating between platforms Retiring a page that had visitors Consolidating duplicate pages
WHERE TO REDIRECT TO
The closest equivalent page.
Not always the homepage.
A redirect to the homepage from a specific page is treated as a soft error and loses the value.
REDIRECT CHAINS
One redirect leading to another leading to another.
Wasteful and loses value. Point directly at the final destination.
HOW MANY TO KEEP
Indefinitely, for anything with value.
Removing an old redirect breaks every existing link.
HOW TO ADD THEM
A redirect plugin, or rules in .htaccess.
WHAT TO CHECK
That each redirect works and goes somewhere sensible.
